Help Me, Sonic
by Ultimate Inuyasha Sonic Fan
Summary: Shadow calls Sonic in for a private talk. After being asked for help, the blue blur embarks on a new journey, this time only accompanied by Shadow. But what happens when this journey takes them to a seemingly forgotten past? Will Shadow be able to let go, or will he forever stay behind with the few memories he does have?
1. Meeting

**Hey all! This is my first fanfiction, so please no mean flames. Anyways, this is just something for me to do in free time. Sonic and Shadow have...a talk. _Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot of this story!_**

A blue hedgehog walked into a small brick house. His ears perked slightly as he realized it was so dim. He looked around and soon spotted some red lines. "Shadow, why is it so dark in here?" he asked. "Can't you see? I...can't, honestly."

The black and red hedgehog shrugged. "I can see perfectly fine...faker."

Sonic wasn't absolutely positive that he heard that last word, but something told him he did. Shrugging it off, he sat beside the other. "So what's the problem? It's not everyday you wanna talk to me, especially not in private." he said. Red eyes avoided green ones as Shadow's voice quietly whispered, "Sonic...I need your help." He was suddenly up and inches from Sonic's face. "If you tell anybody-!"

Sonic waved him off, nodding. "I know, I know. Cranky." His usual nonchalant attitude was back, now that his confusion was dealt with. He sighed and sat back. "What with?" he asked after a minute's silence.

Shadow groaned quietly. "I heard that...The space colony ARK has been found recently. I don't know where, but everyone's talking about it. Even your fox friend."

Sonic gasped. "So you know that that's where you were...born?" he asked, receiving a nod from the dark hedgehog. "Wow... I'll help you in any way I can, Shadow. This must be big for you."

Another nod. But this one was slight, as if Shadow was _embarrassed_ to admit it. Or maybe even ashamed. Either way, his feelings weren't exactly positive.

Shadow then stood up and took a deep breath, his chest expanding slightly and allowing his white fur to reflect what little light they had in this tiny house. He shifted, a bit uncomfortably, but then looked at Sonic. "We should start looking soon. I don't wish to waste any time."

The blue hedgehog nodded and stood up as well, stretching. "Just lemme get a quick chilidog, then the day is yours to seize." he replied with a wink.

Shadow nodded and walked out, followed closely by Sonic. They entered the town and Shadow waited by a gun shop, looking around with obvious interest, as Sonic bought a chilidog. He ate it quickly and snuck back to get another, now walking back to Shadow.

"You like these?" Sonic asked, mouth full of food. He smiled a little as Shadow nodded ever so slightly, eyes focused on the rack in the window. "Got any money to buy one with?" Sonic pressed.

Shadow stood back and frowned a little. "...No, I don't. Where would I even get that?" he asked.

Sonic shrugged in reply. "I guess I just have bunches 'cos I'm always saving people from Egghead. You should, too. Earn yourself some money to buy more guns. But for now..." He dashed away and was back in two seconds, holding some coins. "...I'll go easy on ya. Pick one and tell me how much."

Inside, Shadow was so grateful to the other, he could have smiled, but he didn't wanna scare the other citizens, so he decided he'd do it later. For now, a curt nod and a quiet "Thank you." would have to do. So that's what he did.

As the two hedgehogs exited the shop, Sonic smiled. "I'm fast, and so are you with those rocket shoes of yours. Together we can actually get some searching done before sundown." he said, noting it was afternoon already.

Shadow nodded. "Let's hurry. I...I want to see if I can find Maria's room. Maybe some of her stuff is still okay."

Sonic nodded in understanding. He could tell, despite his quiet tone, that Shadow was in a big rush. "I got you, buddy. Let's go!" He shoved the last bit of chilidog into his face and sped off, Shadow on his heels.

Hours later, the two hedgehogs walked out of the forest, one of them holding a small fragment of metal. Shadow clutched it to his chest, his arms pressing it into himself, as if letting it go would end his life. With Sonic close at his side, he walked into the old house from earlier. He had made a home for himself here, complete with a lamp and a chair in every room. He set the metal piece in the chair of the first room they walked into, and knelt beside the chair with his arms crossed on it and his face half-buried in them. He stared long and hard at the metal, as if silently interrogating it. Slowly, his eyes closed, until all that was left was a small line of white.

Sonic ran home and grabbed a blanket off his bed before hurrying back to Shadow's "home" and gently resting it over the dark hedgehog's shoulders. He smiled a little as Shadow then sighed and his whole body relaxed.

"Even someone like him can get tired." Sonic murmured as he walked out. "When daybreak comes tomorrow, I'll come back and check on him. But for now..." He glanced back at the old house in which the other slept.

"Sleep well, Shadow..."


	2. ARK, Lost Forever

**So! How's life? It's almost school time. Last school year I wrote some stories and had to stop for summer. Now I've got a phone so I don't have to go to a library or anything to do this! So I'm using all spare time to write. I know this is said a lot, but I really do hope you enjoy reading the stories as much as I enjoy writing them! And without further ado please enjoy chapter 2 of Help Me, Sonic.** ** _Disclaimer; I own nothing but the plot of this story._**

Sonic sat up in his little blue bed and yawned. "Agh...I didn't sleep very well. I hope Shadow had a better rest than I did...-Shadow!" The blue hedgehog suddenly shot out of bed, heading straight for Shadow's house. Upon arriving at his friends house, he knocked twice before opening the door. He did it slowly and quietly so as not to disturb his friend (or maybe just acquaintance) and saw him in the same place he was last night. He had shifted, though, and was now laying on the floor, arms sprawled out as his legs curled beneath him. Sonic smiled, glad he seemed to be doing okay.

The dark hedgehog groaned and shifted once more, a gloved hand reaching up to scratch at his cheek. "Nngh, Ma...ria..." He turned over, letting out another groan. Sonic watched, unsure of what was going on as Shadow began panting a little. "No, Maria..." His hands clutched the blanket as he kicked out a little. He turned over and nudged the chair beside him. Upon feeling it, he turned and pushed it away.

 _He's having a nightmare!_ Sonic realized, gasping. _I have to wake him up somehow!_ He took a step closer and reached out to shake him, but at the last second, Shadow shook the chair by bumping against it, and the metal scrap from the previous day slid down, crashing into him.

His chest now crushed, Shadow struggled to breath. His eyes suddenly shot open and he clutched the metal. "MARIAA!" He managed to shove the piece off of him, but not without assistance from Sonic. He sat, silent now. He didn't know what to do. He forgot what his goal had recently become and he looked up at Sonic as if nothing had happened. "What do you want, Faker?"

The blue hedgehog sat down beside him with a look of sympathy in his emerald eyes. "Shadow..."

Shadow looked away. "Wh-what?!"

Sonic looked over at the metal scrap. Getting on his hands and knees, he crawled over and picked it up. He now stood before Shadow, who looked confused and slightly traumatized.

"Shadow, I'm here to help, remember?" he asked. His voice was soft, like he was talking to a lost child.

The dark hedgehog thought for a second, then closed his eyes and nodded. He stood up and looked over at the scrap metal he had pushed off of himself and sighed. "Fak-Uh, Sonic...?"

Realizing Shadow wasn't in a great mood, Sonic looked up at him. "Yeah, Shadow?"

Shadow took a deep breath. "I'm...sorry you had to see that."

Sonic gave him a reassuring smile and shook his head. "It's not a problem, Shadow. I know this was hard on you. But don't worry. We'll find the ARK soon, and I'll even help you fix it up a little. But for this quest, you're the leader."

Shadow nodded. "Thank you. Really."

Sonic shifted on his feet. "Anytime. Now let's get going. It's early morning. We have all day today!" he said.

* * *

Shadow's eyes widened. "Sonic!" he called.

The blue hedgehog was there in two seconds, holding a small piece of paper. "What's up?"

Shadow pointed at a bush. "That..."

Sonic followed his gaze. He gasped quietly and looked at the paper in his hand.

"Does it look like anything in the blueprint manual?" Shadow asked quietly, leaning closer to see it. He put up a hand and ran his finger along a picture of the ARK's design. He soon stopped. "Those letters!"

Sonic looked up at him in confusion. "What letters?" He looked up at the piece of metal, then saw a thick, dark red line. He gasped and handed Shadow the manual before walking over to the bush. He grabbed a side of the metal and began to pull. "What does the manual say?" he asked, quickly finding and reading the script on the metal piece.

"Project...Shadow." the dark hedgehog read quietly. Memories flooded his mind, all from that room alone.

Sonic gasped. "I see the last part! It says... '...adow' right here." He pointed to the letters.

Shadow hurried over and looked closely at it. He nodded, then grabbed it. "Help me get it out."

Sonic nodded and grabbed it, then Shadow counted down from three. At one, they both yanked as hard as they could, which resulted in them flying backwards (along with the piece of the ARK ship) and into a tree. Shadow landed on his back, and Sonic on his head. After quickly adjusting, they picked it up and carried it to a nearby tree.

"Okay, now where?" Sonic asked. It had been quite a while, and he was growing hungry.

Shadow also noticed it had been a while, and while he rarely got physically tired, he knew Sonic could, and he was grateful to him for helping, so he decided to go easy on him to show it. To check the time, he flew up and stood on a tall tree branch, then gasped. "Sonic!"

The blue blur looked up at him. "Yeah?!" He ran up the tree and joined Shadow, following his pointing finger. Then he, too, gasped.

"Shadow...That's gotta be a huge chunk of the ARK..."

"Let's go!" Shadow grabbed Sonic's wrist and flew down, now using his rocket shoes to hurry to the site. Sonic kept up by running fast, but was still a bit surprised. He hadn't seen this side of Shadow before...In fact, he wasn't sure any side existed except the ones for Maria, the ARK, and Chaos Emeralds.

"It was about two miles away. We can get there really soon." Sonic said to him. He saw Shadow nod, which put him at ease a little bit. _At least he's responding. Knowing him, he might get so excited and hyper-focused on this, there'd be no stopping him. He'd exhaust himself. I have to protect him..._

Shadow suddenly stopped, Sonic gasping as he was yanked back, his shoulder popping. He groaned. "Ahhh, oww, Shadow...Be a bit more careful, please!"

Shadow looked at him, his fiery eyes focusing on the other's shoulder. "...Sorry." He was used to being on his own, and he knew he was naturally much stronger than any other Mobian creature. _I have to try to keep that in check._ "Let's go."

"Why'd you stop in the first place?" Sonic asked, wrenching himself free of Shadow's grasp.

The black and red hedgehog looked at the blue one, a dark look crossing over his face. "I can sense a Chaos Emerald nearby. It's coming from the same direction as the ARK is..."

Sonic gasped. "Let's go then!" It was now his turn to grab Shadow's wrist, running off. They arrived at their new destination in less than a minute, and Shadow froze, collapsing to his knees.

"The...the ARK...My home..."

* * *

Invisible to them before due to a "ceiling" formed by scraps of the old colony ship that led to the forest, which acted as a blanket, smoke shrouded the ARK. Smoke, straight from a fire.

* * *

 **Call me whatever you want. Hehehehe, Shadow's gonna go through a lot in this story. If you don't like that, then Sayonara. Otherwise HI XD**


	3. Burnout Session

**Yay. I'm back. Not much is happening today so I'm kinda just Fanfiction-focused right now. I've been on the computer mostly, but I may go to my phone soon. These headphones hurt after a while... :( Also...No reviews? DANG. ;-;**

Shadow collapsed to his knees.

"The...the ARK...My home..."

Fire engulfed the pile of metal, melting it slowly. Small crashes could be heard from deeper into the pile as things fell apart inside. Shadow stared at it, tears filling his eyes. As they began spilling over, he buried his face in his hands. "No...NO!"

Sonic gasped. _He's...crying...?!_ He hurried to Shadow's side. "We can still save it!" he cried. He grabbed Shadow's wrists ad began pulling. As Shadow tried to pull away, Sonic's grip slipped. He grabbed onto what now were Shadow's hands, and pulled him up. In an attempt to get back down, Shadow fell limp. Sonic caught him and groaned, holding him up. "Let's _go,_ Shadow!" He ran into the ARK's burning figure, Shadow held against him. He pushed through smoking walls and the lot, coughing a little.

Shadow struggled free. "Stop it! You'll kill yourself!"

Sonic shook his head as he put a hand over his mouth. "No...But we need to hurry. Take this..." He picked up a piece of wall and put it in a flame, allowing the heat to make it malleable before bending it into a bowl-like shape. He then handed it to Shadow. "Get outta here. Use Chaos Control and go to any body of water. You gotta hurry! I'll help!"

Knowing that he couldn't convince Sonic otherwise, Shadow became determined to save this lost piece of his home and held the metal close. _None of the Emeralds are with me. Knuckles has them and I'm not wasting any time. I'll have to just use my speed._

Shadow was gone, yet back in less than two minutes. The makeshift bucket now full of water, he went in deep and searched for the source. _Time is running out. I have to pour it before it all evaporates._ He found a big flame and lunged forward, splashing water onto it. Another splash not far from where he was announced Sonic's arrival.

"Almost done!" the blue blur called.

Shadow nodded and sped off. He found the same river he originally got water from, and hurried to fill it. Dashing back, the dark Hedgehog poured more water over the old ship.

Soon, the fire was all gone, and Shadow sat in a small opening, on his knees, leaning back. He was having a hard time taking this in.

Sonic joined him and gently rubbed his back as Shadow held back an ocean's worth of tears. "I know this shouldn't have really happened, but I promise you Shadow, we'll find the rest of it before it's even close to being 'too late'." he said quietly.

Shadow turned to him, looking down but facing him. "Sonic...This really shouldn't have happened."

"I know. But-"

"No, Sonic, somebody is trying to get rid of my-"

A hand was slapped over Shadow's mouth, midsentence. He glared but listened for something, as Sonic had a finger over his own mouth.

"Somebody's here..." Sonic whispered.

* * *

"...botnik went mad." A tall man stood, hands on his hips as he spoke to a shorter, yet still tall, man.

"Well, that's too bad. What was it, again? Project SHADOW, right?"

The first man nodded. "Yeah. He went off with Maria and tried to run away. He escaped though..."

"Too bad. I heard he went to Earth but is in a dead state. Been like that for 50 years."

"Oh, I received word that-hey, wait. That scrap pile. There's no more heat...I feel nothing."

"Let's go!"

* * *

Shadow held his fists at his sides, breathing heavily in a desperate attempt not to go off on these strangers. _They set it on fire...! These_ IDIOTS! _What're they even trying to accomplish?!_

Sonic's eyes widened as he recognized Shadow's rage. _These guys have to stop...Or Shadow's gonna kill them for real!_

* * *

"Alrighty, let's just retry." The shorter man pulled out a match and struck it on the box.

As he lit the pile of metal on fire, Shadow flinched and nearly curled into himself.

The men stepped back, satisfied as they watched the fire quickly grow.

But suddenly, Shadow leapt out, the only thing giving him away before his appearance being Sonic's cry of "Shadow, wait!"

The dark hedgehog stood before the men, fists clenched at his sides, a truly frightening sight as his fire-red eyes glared at them, his face shadowed by the bright fire burning behind him.

"I-it's him! SHADOW!" The taller man backed up quickly, but Shadow raced after him and grabbed him by the neck, yanking him back.

"You'll put that fire out _now,_ or I'll put _yours_ out!" Shadow slammed him down, and in his fear, the man decided it best to stay down. It was no use running. Shadow would catch him and kill him.

The only thing on Shadow's mind was saving this chunk of the ARK. He turned on the shorter man, his eyes narrowed and flashing with hatred.

"Look, we can put it out. Just-give us a bit of time...Like a day...?" the man asked, hands up slightly.

Shadow let out a deep, dark laugh. "You must think that I'm stupid. Do you?"

Sonic climbed out, coughing and covered in cinders. Collapsing to the ground, he looked up at Shadow, fear and worry in his eyes. "Sh-Shadow...!"

The alien hybrid seemed oblivious to him as he stepped closer to the man. "I am the Ultimate Lifeform. You have no business in attempting petty trickery on me, let alone challenging me. Unfortunately for you, I take _this_..." He gestured to the burning heap behind him. "...as a challenge."

The man fell to his knees and clasped his hands together. "Alright, alright, j-j-just-d-don't kill me, please-!"

Shadow rolled his eyes and stepped closer. " _Now._ "

The man quickly nodded and pulled something out of his pocket, took a deep breath, and flipped a switch.

Shadow suddenly heard Sonic cry out, and he leapt over. "What's wrong?" He looked over at the man, eyes filled with rage. "What did you _DO_?!" he demanded, helping Sonic up. Said hedgehog collapsed against Shadow, burying his face in the other's chest, weakly pounding on his chest with his fist.

The man help up a finger, as if signaling, "Wait." Soon, the fire was out, and he flipped the switch back. "I sucked all the air out of the area so the fire doesn't keep going..." he said. "Can we go now?"

Shadow put Sonic down and rushed him, tackling him. "If I ever see you and your pathetic little friends destroying any more of my home again-! You're dead!"

The men suddenly got up and ran, to what Shadow noticed was a ship of some sort. He followed them and grabbed the door just as it was shutting. The men met him at the entrance. "Y-yes?" they asked in unison.

"If you send any more 'help' from Earth, I will personally destroy your planet." Shadow said darkly. He then walked off without so much as another glance.

As soon as the humans' ship was gone, Shadow fell to the floor on his hands and knees and began crying uncontrollably. Sonic knelt beside him and ignored his injuries, trying to comfort his friend...Until Shadow turned to him with teary eyes. "You're burned. Come with me."

Sonic took note of the great sadness in Shadow's voice, but nodded and did what he said, not wanting to further upset the black and red being.

Shadow took him to the river and led him in, allowing him to hold on to him as they were in a shoulder-deep part. He worked on treating Sonic's burns to the best of his ability and soon carried him out, setting him down, insisting that he rest.

While laying down, Sonic looked over at Shadow. "Hey..."

Shadow looked over at him. "I thought you were asleep." he muttered.

Sonic shook his head. "I can't sleep with you this upset. You seem more upset about this than you might be about other parts of the ARK. Why?"

Shadow looked away for a bit. "Because..."

 _"Maria's room was in that piece."_

* * *

 ** _Okay I've been here for 4 hours typing and jamming to music. Gonna go to my phone. This was probably the last chapter for today. Bai! Thanks for reading! R &R for faster, better chapters!_**


	4. Maria's Letter

**I am back. I got some free time tonight. I'm** ** _really_** **hoping I get some reviews on this story. I'm working hard on it especially for you guys. But I know you don't care about this! XD on with the story!**

* * *

Sonic looked over at Shadow. A week had passed since their last..."adventure". Shadow was heartbroken over what happened and had no desire to be reminded of his past. Not like that, at least.

Unfortunately for him, Sonic wanted him to find it all. For the last seven days, Shadow did nothing but sit around his house and sleep the days away, but Sonic wouldn't have any of that.

"So...Shadow..." Sonic waited for the dark hedgehog to look at him, and when he did, he smiled. "Wanna go looking _now_?"

Shadow let out a deep sigh. "Already?" he asked quietly.

Sonic groaned. "Shadow, it's been a week...! How much longer do you want?"

Shadow turned away. "Two eternities."

"Oh come on, Shad, don't be so depressed."

Shadow shot the blue blur a glare. "Did you just make a Sonic Paradox Seaside Denied reference?"

A smirk met his glare. "Yep!"

Shadow rolled his eyes and turned away to hide the tiny smile on his face.

Finally, Shadow stood up, and he agreed to continue the search for the lost pieces of his old home...but not without a quick visit back to last week's site of emotional torture. Hopefully they could come and go without that this time.

* * *

Sonic waited outside as his friend ventured inside, memories of the last time flooding his mind.

* * *

 _"Shadow...Are you okay?"_

 _Shadow took a deep, shaky breath. "It's too late." He looked up at Sonic with nothing but despair and grief in his eyes. His tear-strewn face revealed the truth in his statement. It was too late, and there was no saving this piece of the ARK. It seemed that the few pieces Shadow did have of his home and his past were fading like clouds on a hot summer's day._

 _The dark hedgehog stood up and angrily rubbed his eyes._

 _Sonic put his hand on Shadow's back and guided him back home. When they arrived, Shadow only went to the nearest chair and slept until the next morning._

 _Sonic watched over him every day, only leaving to get food for himself twice a day and returning as soon as possible._

* * *

Sonic sighed and sat down, praying to the Master Emerald that his friend would be okay. The last thing he needed was the toughest person he knew having an emotional breakdown.

Shadow walked into the burnt heap of metal. Some doors and walls were still recognizable as such, but others were black, rusted over, and even partially melted. He sighed and ran a finger along a door frame, eyes half closed as tears began forcing their way out again.

 _I won't cry...I can't...not again..._ The words rushed around his mind, a silent command, but in no way was it being obeyed. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks, red eyes staring blankly at lost pieces of his past.

For the first time, he cried silently. His breathing somewhat steady, he looked around. "Maria..." He spotted the entrance to her room. A small sense of excitement rushed through his body like lightning. He stepped closer, then stopped.

He wiped his eyes...then forced the blackened door open.

Inside, he gasped. Her room was nearly perfect. Her bed sat against the wall as if slammed there, the top where Maria would lay pressed to the wall. The bottom revealed a large crack running all the way down. The bed had snapped in half. He walked over and reached up, all three feet and three inches of his body straining to grab the large bed. He pulled it down and gently set it back in its original position. After a minute's pause, he ran his hand along the bed's edge. A small rustling sound made him stop and pull the covers to the side.

He stared for a bit, then gingerly picked up the paper and read it silently. It had been torn out of a book, but he could still make out the words, as only the bed's edge had been burned. The paper was untouched...

* * *

 _Project SHADOW turned out so well. His real name is Shadow the Hedgehog. He's the Ultimate Life Form, and I know he was created to find a cure for me, but being his friend is good enough for me. I already know there is no curing me... But that's okay. Shadow is my first and only real friend. I love spending time with him. I only wish there was a cure for my disease because I don't want him having to live alone after I die. I'm afraid for him. What will they do if even he can't find a cure? Hopefully they'd let him live. I want him to have a happy life. In the short time he's been alive, he's always been by my side and protecting me._

 _Thank you, Shadow._

 _I love you, Shadow._

* * *

The dark hedgehog had to use all of his strength and willpower to keep from falling over or crying his immortal heart out.

"Maria...MARIIAAAAAA!"

Hearing Shadow's scream, Sonic stood up and started inside, then stopped. _Would having somebody see him like this make him more upset? Maybe he just needs some alone time...if he needs me, he'll let me know._

He sat back down and sighed. "Please don't cry, Shadow..."

Said being was trying not to with all his might. "Maria..." He gingerly folded the note and put it in his shoe, then left Maria's room. "I won't come back..." he murmured. "Not ever again. Rest in peace, Maria...Be happy and safe..." He stepped out into the sunshine, squinting his eyes for a bit before walking over to Sonic, who immediately stood up.

"Shadow...Are you okay?" Sonic asked, looking him over. He received a nod in response, but didn't believe him. He suddenly reached out and wrapped his arms around Shadow, who looked shocked.

"It'll be fine, Shadow...Real soon."

Shadow trembled slightly and hugged him back, nodding as he closed his eyes.

"Thank you...Sonic."

* * *

The moon shone in through the windows as stars began revealing themselves on the sky.

Sonic yawned and stretched. "Are you sure you don't want any? I mean I know you don't actually need food, but you really should try this. It's pretty good."

Shadow sighed a little and reached out for the bowl of chips before him. Dipping it in the creamy pale sauce, he took a small bite. He nodded slightly. "Not bad."

Sonic offered a smile. "So, what did you find out?" he asked casually.

Shadow suddenly looked away. "There was a note on her bed...it was almost like she had written it for me..." he murmured.

Sonic's eyes widened. "Why do you say that?"

"Well...The last thing it says...'I love you, Shadow.'"

The blue hedgehog gasped and looked at Shadow. "Wow. It's almost like she knew you'd find it." he noted. Shadow nodded and looked at him.

"Maria was a smart girl. She always knew what was coming. She also knew...There was no saving her."

Sonic's gaze softened. "Didn't she have an incurable disease...?" he asked quietly.

Shadow nodded slightly, now tracing circles on the table with his finger. "Neuro-Immune Deficiency System." he muttered.

"Well, she did pretty well with it." Sonic told him.

Shadow let out a soft chuckle. "I suppose she did."

"So...want any more chips?" he asked. After receiving a head shake from the other, he picked up the bowl and small saucer of dip. "I'll be back soon."

Shadow shook his head. "Stay home tonight. You've been with me a lot today. You deserve some time by yourself." he replied.

Sonic paused at the door, turning around to face him. "A-are ya sure?"

Shadow looked at him. "Yes. But thank you...for everything."

Sonic nodded and set his stuff down before zipping over and hugging Shadow. "Goodnight, buddy."

"Goodnight."

Sonic went home and kept all the food for later, sealing it. He went straight to his bed and took his shoes off, climbing in. "Have a good night, Shadow...even if you don't sleep." He closed his Emerald eyes and soon fell asleep, snoring quietly.

Shadow sat back in his chair and set the note on the chair's arm next to him, curling into himself. "Sleep well, Sonic."

* * *

 **I'm going to bed myself! Enjoy! Did it all in 2 hours! Goodnight!**


	5. Maria

**Heyo! I am the back. I feel horrible because I've been working on this chapter for a week now and I haven't had any luck with time. I thank all of you for your support and all the new followers, I love seeing that. I promise I'll have it done by Sunday...even though you guys will only read this when its up. Heh.**

 **This chapter may include some violence and extreme angst. Be warned.**

 **Also, to the guest who is confused about what's happening, I'm sorry I forgot to explain: the ARK crashed onto Mobius and has been recently discovered. Shadow heard about it and decided to call Sonic in for help.**

* * *

Sonic woke up the next morning and had a quick bite from last night's leftovers, then headed straight to Shadow's house for their newest adventure.

As he opened the door, Sonic looked around. Shadow was nowhere to be seen.

"Shadow?" The blue Mobian walked around the house, looking in every room, but there was no sign of him. Only the metal scraps of the ARK remained.

 _What's going on? Where's Shadow? Did he leave? ...Dis he maybe go back to Earth...? No, he wouldn't...would he?_ He then gasped. "What if he snuck off to go see that...chunk, again?!"

The Knight of the Wind soon proved he deserved that nickname as he sped off.

* * *

Shadow sighed to himself quietly as he pushed aside one last piece of metal. "There it is." He picked up he glowing object. "What was a Chaos Emerald doing buried in the ARK ruins?" he wondered aloud. He shrugged it off for now and clutched the red Chaos Emerald as he flew back to his house. "Hopefully Sonic didn't come over yet..."

But he was dead wrong.

Sonic waited at Shadow's door, looking for any sign of movement coming towards the house. As soon as he saw the black blur with steaks of red, he sighed in relief. "Shadow! There you are! Where'd you go?!" he asked, stepping closer as the dark hedgehog came to a stop.

"Sonic! I...wasn't expecting you over this early." he said.

Sonic paused. "Uh, Shadow...it's noon."

Shadow let out a chuckle. "Oh? Well, I didn't know..." He held out the Chaos Emerald, to which Sonic gasped.

"I forgot about that!" The blue hedgehog reached out and touched it lightly. "What're you gonna do with it?"

"Keep it...for now." Shadow replied. He walked inside, Sonic following, and set the Emerald down on the chair beside the note.

"Should we keep looking today?" Sonic offered.

Shadow nodded and the two hedgehogs headed outside...but froze.

There sat Dr. Eggman, in his usual floating transport, grinning at them. "Alright, hand it over," he said, reaching out, "or else."

Shadow frowned "You... What makes you think we'll give it to you?!" he snapped, stepping forward as he glared daggers at the man.

Eggman laughed. "Well, since you asked nicely, I'll tell you... This doesn't make me _think_ you'll hand it over...it lets me _know._ " He smiled as his machine pulled out...

"MARIA!" Shadow's eyes widened and he froze. "L-let her go, now!"

"Only if I can have my Emerald!" Eggman cooed.

Shadow dashed inside, but as he came back out, Sonic grabbed his shoulders. "Shadow, that's not really Maria! Maria's...dead!" he cried, wincing.

Shadow groaned. "Then...!" Tears filled his eyes. "LET HER GO, Doctor!"

Said man only laughed. "I need that Chaos Emerald..." he replied with a smirk. At that, Shadow went off and leapt at him.

"You disgrace! How could someone like you be related at all to Maria?!" He grabbed Maria and ripped her from her trap, leaping down. As soon as his foot touched the ground, he zipped off, Maria on his back.

He dashed left and right, through the trees, anything to get away from Eggman.

Sonic gasped. "SHADOW, NO!"

The black hedgehog ignored him as he kept fleeing. "Maria, I'll keep you safe...!"

Maria was silent, and very still, but Shadow didn't seem to mind as he deemed it only out of trauma.

He finally stopped at a wide river, gasping slightly. "Maria...would you mind getting a little water on you?" he asked quietly.

The girl pushed herself off of him and stared at him. "Yes...I would mind...Shadow..."

He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing "Don't you want to try and get away from the Doctor?"

Maria grinned and shrugged. "Maybe..."

It was then that Shadow decided to look into her strange behavior. He leaned forward a little and looked closer. "Maria...what's wrong? Mar-"

He was suddenly cut off as his chest was crushed and he was thrown back, Maria now on top of him as she pushed hard in his chest. "Die, Shadow the Hedgehog."

Shadow's eyes widened and he fought to push her off, but only then did he see that this was not Maria...it was a robot. Utter disappointment and sadness burned in his heart like fire, and he gave out. "Maria..."

He looked up when he heard his name being called, and faintly saw Sonic racing towards him, blue and blurry. Then all went black.

"Shadow!"

* * *

Red eyes opened to see Sonic's worried face. "Sonic...What happened? Where's Maria...?" He reached a hand up to touch his chest. It was burning, and he looked down to see a bag of ice. "Wha...?"

Sonic took a deep breath. "I tried to tell you...That wasn't the real Maria...Just a robot. She, or it, attacked you. I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner, I knew you'd be mad if I didn't get the Chaos Emerald."

The black hedgehog shrugged a little. "Thanks. But...where is the robot?"

Sonic looked away so he couldn't see Shadow's reaction as he murmured, "I...put it in the river. I...jumped in with it and held it under until it stopped working."

A look of sorrow crossed Shadow's face, but he soon got over it. "It was a fake anyways. But how did you get out...?"

"I almost didn't. But I got on the robot and kicked it down while I climbed back onto land." he admitted.

Shadow was surprised. "You risked your life...?! For me?!"

Sonic shrugged. "I know how hard this whole thing is for you...and I didn't wanna let it get any harder. So...yeah."

Shadow sighed. "Thank you, but...please just don't do anything like that again."

Sonic chuckled. "Guaranteed."

Sonic helped Shadow get up and led him over to a tree. It was then that Shadow realized they were still outside. "How long has it been?"

"You were out for about two hours. You almost woke up a couple times, you'd open your eyes, but then you'd just scream or groan and close them again." Sonic explained, gently pulling him to keep walking.

A bit surprised by that, Shadow nodded. "Anything else?"

Sonic tilted his head. "Whaddya mean, Shad?"

"Well, what else did I do?"

Sonic put a finger to his cheek in thought as he closed his grass-green eyes. He then opened them and trained them on Shadow. "You were pretty much still. The whole time. Once you said Maria's name and started grabbing the grass, but...you calmed down soon." That was partially a lie.

* * *

 _Shadow turned and screamed. Eyes squeezed shut, he fisted the grass and yanked, ripping out small pieces and kicking. "Don't shoot her, don't shoot her! Maria!"_

 _Sonic gasped, sitting up from his position on the ground. "Shadow?"_

 _"No, Maria, Maria, don't do this...!"_

 _Sonic gasped as tears spilled down Shadow's cheeks and soaked the grass beneath him, as well as the tuft of white, yet now dirty, fur on his chest. "Shadow..."_

 _He got on his hands and knees and crawled over, ears straining to ignore his screams. He crept closer until he was right beside the screaming hedgehog. He tentatively reached out and touched Shadow's chest, earning a reaction he was expecting least of all._

 _Shadow's hand snapped up and clutched Sonic's like it was his life. He then stopped crying, but trembled. Sonic's eyes zipped to Shadow's face. He was somewhat relaxed now. He smiled to himself and nodded, gathering up courage. "Shadow...it's gonna be okay." He reached around the other's shoulders and pulled him up, carefully avoiding his quills as he hugged him tightly._

 _Shadow, though unconscious, seemed to know exactly what was going on as he wrapped his arms around Sonic's midsection and yanked him close, burying his face in his shoulder._

 _"Shadow...you'll be okay. I promise."_

* * *

Sonic nervously chuckled as he recalled the incident. He felt so bad for Shadow. He wished he didn't have to go through all this, but he did. So, Sonic would stay by his side the whole time.

Shadow groaned, his grip on the ice tightening. "Sonic, Sonic, it hurts..."

"Huh? Shadow..." Sonic was in shock. Shadow was the Ultimate Lifeform. And here he was complaining about pain? "Shadow...are you gonna be okay?"

The black and red hedgehog shook his head. "No. Not since Robotnik did that. I...he used Maria against me."

Sonic cringed, hearing the sadness in his voice. "But don't worry...you'll have your chance to get him back soon enough. I know it." He winked and gave Shadow a hug, then let him lay back down and rest as he kept watch.

"And what about Maria?" Shadow asked quietly, as if afraid to bring it up.

"Maria...She's gonna watch over you. Protect you. Help make you happy."

"She loves you, Shadow."


	6. Mephiles' Arrival, Shadow's Feelings

**Hiiiiii. It's been far too long. Fanfiction was down a while ago I noticed. That sucked. I couldn't update or anything. But I'm back! Here's chapter 6!**

 **Updates will be much slower now that school is here. Sorry. :(**

 **update: OMG this is taking way longer than I hoped! I apologize! this is going up today, I swear, Friday September 24th! AHHHH!**

 **I will let you know, it's partially the lack of reviews I've gotten, too. Without reviews, how will I know if you actually like it? Now I will say I've gotten a lot of favorites and follows, but for me and my stories. But if you want it to be any faster than this, please spare me a review. I work really hard on these and read each chapter a lot before posting it so it's perfect.**

* * *

Shadow yawned and looked around. "What is taking him so long?" he muttered.

Not too long ago, Sonic had left to go get some more food. But it had taken too long for Shadow's liking, and he sighed heavily. He sat down and picked up a pebble lying among the grass. He looked out and spotted a tree that was probably around 30 yards away. He stood up and pulled back, getting ready to throw it.

As soon as he lurched forward to send it off, he heard a loud noise. His legs gave in and he fell down, turning to glare at the disruption. "...Sonic!"

The blue blur grinned down at him. "Hey, Shad! What're you doing?" he asked. He shoved a small handful of chips into his mouth then, smiling.

"I was waiting on you...What took you so long?" Shadow asked, getting up and kicking the pebble away.

Sonic froze, his eyes widening. "Uh...Nothing...?"

Shadow looked closely at him. "What happened?"

Sonic looked away. "I got hungry..." he muttered.

Shadow chuckled slightly. "That's fine, Sonic."

The blue hedgehog smiled. "Heh. Thanks. So, are we gonna be searching some more today?"

Shadow nodded. "I planned to. I thought I saw another large piece off in the distance." He started walking inside. "They sell maps in your city, right?"

"Station Square? They sell everything! Speaking of selling, where's that gun I bought you?" Sonic asked, head tilted.

Shadow looked away. "It's at the house. I had no reason to use it yet, and I don't want it getting ruined beforehand." he replied quietly.

Sonic nodded. "I understand, buddy." He ate another chip, then held some out to Shadow again. "Want some?"

Shadow shook his head. "No thank you."

Sonic nodded. "Alright then. Let's go!" He sealed the chips back up, and they immediately headed off, both impatient to see more of the ARK.

* * *

Shadow's eyes widened. "Sonic..."

The blue hedgehog looked at Shadow. "Yeah? Do you see the piece?"

Shadow shook his head, slowly. "No...Something's not right."

"Whaddya mean, Shadow?" Sonic asked, growing worried about his friend. Shadow seemed very distressed, and thi was sudden. They'd been out for about an hour now, and all of a sudden, the black hedgehog was...upset?

Shadow's head snapped to the side as he heard a small noise. He snatched Sonic's wrist and started running. "This way!" he hissed.

He leapt into a bush, dragging Sonic with him, and slapped a hand over the blue hedgehog's mouth. He pointed outward, allowing Sonic's emerald gaze to follow, until he froze.

"M-Mephiles!" Sonic whispered into Shadow's hand. "What do we do?!"

Suddenly, Shadow reared back and shoved Sonic. "GO!"

"Shadow, what-" Sonic gasped. "Mephiles!" He reached out, but Shadow shook his head. "Go away...NOW!"

Sonic cried out as Shadow was suddenly thrown back by Mephiles, then pinned to the ground.

The two dark hedgehogs fought it out as Sonic watched, helpless.

"What about the-"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT OUT LOUD, SONIC!" Shadow yelled.

Sonic froze and shrunk back. "Do I go?"

Shadow managed to heave Mephiles off of him, running over to Sonic. "No," he panted, "we go. Come on!" He grabbed Sonic's wrist again and started off.

"Shadow, what's he doing here?!" Sonic asked. "And why is he attacking you?!"

Shadow looked back and saw Mephiles gaining on them...and fast. "Let's just say he and I don't get along too well...Now hurry up!" He picked up his speed, hoping Mephiles didn't catch up...but he did.

Knocking the two hedgehogs back, Mephiles laughed. "This will be easy."

Shadow narrowed his eyes and stood up. "That's what you think." He reached behind himself and pulled out a Chaos Emerald, glaring at him. "Now...DIE!" He tossed the Emerald into the air, where it hovered as he grabbed both of Sonic's hands.

Seeming to already know what was going on, Sonic nodded and returned the gesture, squeezing Shadow's hands.

Shadow looked at Mephiles. "You're a fool to think you could beat this!" he cried. Suddenly, in a flash, all of the black coloration on him was white.

Standing right beside him was Sonic, whose blue was now yellow, his Emerald eyes now red.

As for Mephiles, he was now a copy of Shadow's original form, only all red coloration was replaced by a faded blue-gray. As a blur before, it wasn't clear, but now, as he stood before the two, it was quite obvious.

Shadow flew at Mephiles and punched him square in the face. Mephiles stepped back, but soon regained himself as he looked up at Shadow in his usual creepy way.

"What do you want?!" Shadow demanded. "Come to lose again?!"

Mephles laughed. "No. I have a proposal for you..." If he had a mouth, he would have smirked.

Sonic flew at Mephiles. "Doubt it!" He attacked Mephiles, but the dark being only warped out of the way, causing Sonic to go headfirst into a tree. Cracks appeared all throughout the trunk, and soon the tree crumbled and collapsed. Sonic lay on the ground amongst the heap of wood and leaves, unconscious.

Shadow turned to glare at Mephiles as he saw Sonic's power fading and the hedgehog return to his normal color. "Mephiles...Damn you."

Mephiles only laughed. "So...are you willing to hear my proposal?" he asked.

Shadow shook his head furiously. "No! Leave me alone!" he spat.

Mephiles shrugged. "Whenever you're ready, or, desperate for help...just use this." He tossed a small, back device with a dark blue button.

Catching it, Shadow stared at it for a bit before asking, "What does it do?"

Mephiles chuckled. "You'll see." He was gone in an instant, leaving Shadow to wonder just what had happened.

* * *

Sonic groaned quietly. "Agh, my head..." He reached a gloved hand up to press to his aching quills. "What even happened...?" He opened his eyes and looked around. "Shadow? What're you doing here?"

"You were knocked unconscious when Mephiles threw you." the black hedgehog replied. "I carried you back here. We're not going anywhere else for today."

Sonic's eyes widened and he sat bolt upright. "No way! We have to go! We're not gonna rest just cuz of me! We need to find the rest of the ARK! Let's g-OWW!" He fell back into a sitting position, clutching his head. "Ahh..."

Shadow sighed. "Sonic, you need to take it-"

He was interrupted by a loud banging noise outside his "house", and went to a window, gasping. "Mephiles!" He grabbed Sonic and carried him to the door. "We need to go." He then turned around and slammed himself into the door, breaking it down with his shoulder. "Go!" He fell over, throwing Sonic.

The blue hedgehog cried out in pain as his head was throbbing, but he quickly stood and held his hand out to Shadow. As soon as Shadow grabbed on, though, Sonic was grabbed and thrown back. "Ahh!" He fell to the ground and struggled to get up.

Before they knew what was happening, the two hedgehogs were surrounded by hundreds of clones of Mephiles, while the real deal stood by Shadow.

"So...you're trying to return to the humans, hm?" he asked.

Shadow growled. "Why is it any of your business?!" He stood up and aimed a punch at Mephiles, but missed and fell over, only to be attacked and almost knocked out.

Sonic yelled out, "SHADOW!" He stood up, but was restrained by clones as Mephiles picked up Shadow and threw him down. By now, Shadow was out cold and limp, completely vulnerable to Mephiles' relentless attacks.

Mephiles picked Shadow up once more and spun around, then released him, sending him flying into his own "home". The hedgehog groaned and struggled to open his eyes. "No..." He looked down to see a small white paper sticking out of his shoe- Maria's note. "Maria..."

"Don't be so foolish!" Mephiles snapped, seeing the paper and snatching it. He read it, then laughed evilly. "You must be joking. Humans don't love. They only hate and betray." He started ripping the note, to Shadow's utter horror.

"NOO!" Shadow leapt up and tackled Mephiles, grabbing his hands and snatching the note before tossing it to Sonic, who caught it and looked around, somewhat panicked. He quickly started running, not knowing where but going away from Mephiles and all his clones.

Shadow watched, wishing him well in his escape. "Go, Sonic..." He was then brought to his knees by one of the clones, and grunted as his legs roughly met the ground. "Damn it, Mephiles..."

"You didn't honestly expect I'd let you off the hook, did you?" Mephiles asked, this one being the real one.

Shadow growled at him. "Sonic got away, so you can attack me all you want. It won't do anything." he spat.

Mephiles sighed and reached down. Shadow flinched from his hand, but was grabbed anyways and pulled close by the throat.

"Fool." Mephiles spat. "You're so pathetic. Going back to those humans...and they're all dead. Even so, you wish to see your old home once more." His grip tightened, and he watched as Shadow cringed and grabbed at his hand.

"Let me...go..." Shadow let out a sharp breath and looked down. He was kneeling on the ground, yet being forced back into a painful position as he was pushed back, his midsection arching out. He reached back and punched Mephiles' hand, gasping for air as he stood up, shaking. "You wretch..."

Mephiles only laughed again, starting to fade. "Now that I know what you're after...I think I'll join the race."

Shadow's eyes widened in horror. "No..."

As Mephiles faded away, Shadow looked around. "No! Mephiles, you dare try anything-" He fell to his knees, thinking about Maria and his promise to her, to himself... "Mephiles, you can't do this!"

"I already have begun. I wil help you find the pieces of your home, but in return...I will burn them to the ground...much faster than any human could."

Shadow trembled slightly. "He can't...he won't!" he hissed. He looked up. "I won't let you!"

He started running. He didn't know where he was going, or where he would end up. But he ran, and ran, his shoes allowing him to save his energy as he used them; and he knew exactly what he was going to do with that saved energy.

"I'm going to save my home! I don't care what you try, Mephiles! It's useless! Nothing you try will work. Not as long as I keep my promise to myself. And to Maria-I'm going to _help_ people! And it all starts with you!" he screamed.

Mephiles' laugh could be heard from the darkness. "Pathetic. You think just because you have determination, that alone can and will save you?" he sneered.

"I don't need determination to destroy you!" Shadow spat. "All I'll need is a little bit of Chaos!" A grin appeared on his face as he raised his arms up high, still running.

"Chaos...CONTROL!"


	7. The Room in Which He Last Saw Her

**HI! Just wanted to say, I have a Sonic forum going, and although we already have a couple RPs going that you can't come into (sorry), I'll gladly make more threads If anybody else wants to join! There's currently only 3 active members. Just PM me and/or go to the Enrollment thre** **ad. Please, Do join!**

* * *

 _Shadow opened his eyes to see a familiar face. "Ngh...Maria?"_

 _"Shadow! You're awake! I was worried about you. You looked upset, so I took you to my room to rest. I hope you don't mind." the girl told him. "You fell asleep anyway, so I'm guessing it was okay." she added with a chuckle._

 _Shadow sat up and rubbed his head. "Yes...But where is Sonic?"_

 _"Who?" Maria asked, turning to him. She looked confused._

 _"Sonic." he replied. "You know-my height, looks like me, blue all over, green eyes...?"_

 _Maria furrowed a brow. "You mean another hedgehog?" When Shadow nodded, she sighed. "Is grandpa trying to make a clone of you or something?"_

 _Shadow grabbed her arm. "Sonic. My faker-?"_

 _Maria chuckled. "Faker?" She laughed a little more. "That's funny. I'll just tell grandpa you don't want another hedgehog around. I'm sure he'll listen to you."_

 _Shadow shook his head. "Maria! Sonic is..." His eyes widened suddenly. "Past your time..." he muttered. "What?"_

 _Suddenly, Maria reared back and smacked him across the face. Her touch was cold, and the contact allowed the icy feeling to quickly spread all over his face, then his body, until he couldn't bear it any more. He knew he was going to be frozen..._

"SHADOW!"

The black hedgehog sat up with a scream, panting. "Maria!?" He looked at Sonic, trembling. That cold feeling was still all over him...He looked down to see himself covered in icy cold water. "What the...?"

Sonic sighed heavily and set the bucket down, going over to Shadow and helping him get dry with a towel.

The silence that hung around them grew thicker as Shadow became more and more dry, until finally:

"Sonic...where's Maria?" Shadow asked quietly, his voice broken-hearted and sad.

Sonic knelt down beside his friend. "Shadow...she's dead..."

The black and red hedgehog shook his head. "She was just here!"

Sonic swallowed, swearing to himself he wouldn't cry for Shadow...or at least not in front of him.

"Shadow," he enunciated, "Maria is dead. She died fifty years ago."

Shadow winced, Sonic's words finally making sense to him. "But..."

Sonic hugged Shadow tightly, squeezing his eyes shut. "Shadow, I'm sorry...!"

Shadow tried to pull away. "No, stop it-!" He put a hand on Sonic's chest and pushed, but Sonic wouldn't let go. It wasn't until he stopped struggling with the blue hedgehog that he realized Sonic was shaking. "...Sonic...?"

"Shadow, you shouldn't have to go through all of this! This whole thing - your life, your memories...your pain...it's all wrong!" Sonic cried. "This isn't fair! Everyone deserves a chance at being happy! But yours was taken from you against your will!"

Shadow swallowed. "Yes...it was. But, Sonic..." He leaned back, and Sonic finally let go, but looked down in an attempt to hide his face. Shadow wouldn't have it though. "Sonic."

The blue hedgehog looked up, eyes half-lidded and full of tears. "Yeah?"

"None of that matters now. You're helping me get a second chance." Shadow told him, a tiny smile on his face. "And for that, I'm grateful."

Sonic nodded. "I-it's no problem." he sniffled.

* * *

Shadow looked up. "Sonic. Look."

Sonic tilted his head, looking up from the ARK blueprints. "Huh?"

Shadow's gesture extended toward a distant gray lump. "The ARK..."

Sonic gasped. "Let's hurry!" He began running, and Shadow soon joined him.

When they reached the heap of metal, Shadow immediately began walking inside.

Sonic stared after him, then followed. _What's he thinking? And why is he suddenly so silent?_ he wondered. Nonetheless, he tracked the other hedgehog into the building.

As soon as he was in Sonic's view, Shadow turned and faced him.

"Sonic...This is what we saw before. The other piece."

Sonic's eyes widened. "You don't mean-"

"Yes. This is the room where I was born...well, created."

Sonic gazed at Shadow for a long while. The ebony hedgehog was silent, but Sonic could see some slight movements of his body, tiny gestures that showed he wanted to go see the room. "Shadow..."

One ear perked in Sonic's direction, but the fiery red eyes were trained on the burned and broken remains before him.

"Go on." Sonic murmured. "Go inside."

Shadow began shaking his head, but was cut off by Sonic when the blue hedgehog walked over and pulled back a crumbling wall.

"Go, Shadow. I'll be out here. You need this. Just...promise me you won't be upset. This is a _good_ thing."

Shadow hesitated for a second before slowly nodded and walking inside. What greeted him made him fall to his knees.

"Sonic!"

The blue hedgehog ran in. "What is it?"

Shadow stood up and pointed to a surface with dozens of buttons and switches. There was one lever that was pulled down, and had a small bit of blood on it, dried and over 50 years old. He walked over to it and stared at it, then put his hand on it and slowly grasped it, the edge of his palm covering the blood. "Maria..."

Sonic watched, green eyes wide with amazement. _This piece of the ARK...it's in really good condition, for such an old, used ship..._ He turned and looked at Shadow, who was now crouching down, running his fingers on the ground gently.

"She was here...Maria died here..." Shadow stared at the old bloody marks on the floor, gritting his teeth. He stood up and clenched his fists, closing his eyes and sighing.

Sonix walked around a little, looking at everything in the room. On one side, the wall looked like an array of windows. He saw two handprints that had become burned on - and looked over at Shadow. He then raised a hand and, without touching the window, sized one up. It was about the size of his own hand, which meant... "Hey, Shadow, come see this."

The black and red hedgehog looked over, then walked up to him. "Hm."

"Look." Sonic gently took Shadow's hand and guided it up, then pressed it to one of the handprints on the window.

A perfect match.

Shadow's eyes widened as he remembered that day...

* * *

 _"Shadow, let's leave our handprints here! This'll always be our spot!" cheered a young Maria. She pressed her hand to the window, staring at Earth below. "Wow! It's like I'm touching it!" she exclaimed._

 _Shadow chuckled a little and did the same thing, just to the left of her hand. His right hand was just an inch from her left hand, as both made marks on the window. Little did either of them know, those marks were to become permanent..._

* * *

Shadow smiled to himself. "Maria..." He chuckled sadly, then took his hand down.

Sonic smiled a little. "See? She's not totally gone."

Shadow shrugged. "I suppose not." But his eyes suddenly squeezed shut. He cried out. "Maria!"

Sonic gasped and stepped forward. "Shadow? What's wrong?!"

Shadow reached out toward him with a hand. "She - she's..."

Sonic grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. "She's what?!"

Shadow suddenly fell limp, and Sonic caught him, lowering him to the ground. "Shadow? _Shadow_!"

* * *

 _Shadow opened his eyes and stared forward. He then gasped at what was before him. "Maria!" Eyes filled and overflowing with tears, he ran forward and hugged her tightly. When he pulled away, he looked up at her. "Maria...! You're here!"_

 _The blonde girl smiled down at her friend, hugging him back. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks as she stared at him. "Shadow...you haven't changed a bit."_

 _Shadow yanked himself back, eyes wide. "What...what do you mean?"_

 _Maria chuckled and shook her head. "You're just...you. And I love every bit of you!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him once more._

 _He blushed a little as he was crushed under the pressure of her arms, but sighed when she released him. "Please, Maria...Tell me this isn't just another dream..."_

 _She shook her head. "No. It isn't." She smiled at him and put a hand on his arm. "I can prove it."_

 _"How?" Shadow asked, stepping forward. He stared at her, eyes filled with hope and...for the first time in a long time, joy._

 _Maria took a deep breath. "Are you ready?"_

 _Shadow was still for a second, but then nodded. "Y-yes."_

 _"Okay." Maria nodded once. "Use your Chaos Control. Right now, you don't need a Chaos Emerald."_

 _A bit confused, but willing to trust his closest friend, he closed his eyes and clenched his fists. "Chaos...Control!"_

* * *

Shadow opened his blood-red eyes and sat up, looking around.

Sonic's emerald-green eyes widened. "Shadow! You're okay!"

Shadow turned to him. "Where is she?"

Sonic tilted his head. "Huh?"

"Where's Maria?" Shadow pressed, becoming slightly desperate.

Sonic shrugged and helped him to stand. "I dunno..."

Shadow assumed his infamous arm-crossing position, staring around. "I know she's here. I need to find her."

Sonic frowned. "Shadow...did you hit your head too hard? I tried to set you down carefully..."

Shadow uncrossed his arms and quickly turned to face him. "I didn't hit my head! Look, Maria told me she's really here. I just need to find where. So let's go."

Sonic swallowed hard, but knew he had no choice other than to follow Shadow as he skated out, and ran after him.

* * *

Shadow led him all around the piece, and more than a couple times, burned the ground with his shoes, causing Sonic to have to jump over it in his rush to keep up with him.

Sonic then gasped, eyes wide, and reached forward. He managed to grab ahold of Shadow's hand and yanked back, hard, stopping him. "Shadow!"

Shadow turned to see what he was looking at, and upon doing so, froze. His whole body suddenly lost control, and he didn't realize what he was doing until he was right up against the precious item.

"Maria...They must have tried to save her...And then realized she would've died on the crash back to Earth. However it happened, though, it came here..."

Sonic walked up behind him, staring down. "Whoa..."

Shadow fell to his knees and stared into the crooked item, his eyes filled with sorrow, joy, and nostalgia, all at once. The once fire-red orbs had quickly dimmed down to a faded sunset color, and suddenly closed as he lost consciousness, falling on his side. His hands slowly slid off his beloved item as he fell, and the noise made that which lay inside stir.

Sonic gasped and reached over to get Shadow up, and picked him up. "Shadow..." He slowly knelt down and scooped the unconscious being into his arms, then stood up and stared at the item once more.

Shadow then stirred, seemingly determined to achieve his goal by any means necessary. He nodded in thanks to Sonic before getting down and turning back.

"Sonic...Tell me I'm not imagining this...Please, tell me this is real, not some dream..."

Sonic chuckled a little. "Yeah, Shad, it's pretty real..." He smiled at his friend, walking closer. "Whaddya think?"

"I think...This is the definition of a miracle." Shadow breathed. "I'm...Unable to think clearly..."

Sonic smiled and gave his friend a hug. "That's a good thing. That feeling just means you're really happy."

Shadow hugged him back and pulled away, looking to the side awkwardly. "...Happy...?"

Sonic laughed and nodded. "Yeah, happy. Meaning, not upset." He laughed a bit more, then turned to face the item.

Shadow turned to it as well, sighing heavily.

It was then that he began trying to open up the capsule which held his first friend, Maria.


	8. Maria's New Life

Sonic quickly went to help Shadow, as the black hedgehog was in tears trying to pry the machine open.

Suddenly, there was a small click, and the door slowly opened.

Shadow put an arm out in front of Sonic, stepping back and making Sonic do the same thing.

Sonic gasped and looked over Shadow's arm as the figure inside the pod began moving. "Uhh..."

Shadow raced forward. "Maria!"

The girl looked up at him then, her blue eyes shining with wonder and confusion. "Shadow...? I thought... I thought you..."

Shadow stepped forward and grasped her hands in his own. "Maria, it's been over 50 years!"

"What?" Maria was shocked. "Shadow, how are you - you're still perfectly fine!"

Shadow nodded and squeezed her hands. "Yes. I'm fine. The real concern is you. Do you remember anything?"

Maria thought for a second. "Yes...I remember it all. G.U.N. invaded the ARK, and they wanted to get rid of anybody that had any affiliation with you or your prototype. They chased us down until we found an escape pod room. I pushed you into the pod, then I was shot. But when I fell, I pulled the lever and sent you to Earth. After that, it all went black. But I was sure I'd died."

Shadow finally let go of her hands and looked down with a sigh. "So was I, as much as I hated to think so. But..." He looked back up at her, red eyes shining with fresh tears. "...You're okay now. That's all that matters."

"How did you find me in here?" Maria asked, rubbing his arm.

"Sonic and I were - oh! Here... Maria, this is Sonic. Sonic, this is Maria." Shadow said, motioning for Sonic to come forward.

Sonic stepped up and shook Maria's hand.

"Nice to meet you." Maria said, smiling.

Sonic nodded. "The pleasure's mine." he replied.

Shadow sighed, relieved Sonic didn't pull anything smart.

"You know...You two look kind of similar!" Maria realized.

This caused very different reactions to come from the 'similar' hedgehogs. Shadow sighed and hung his head low, while Sonic burst into laughter. This moment was short though, as Maria quickly apologized. "Sorry!"

"It's fine." the two responded, both quickly getting their act together.

Shadow looked up at Maria. "We have to hurry though. There are some humans from Earth who have been trying to destroy the ARK, piece by piece. I'm sure we can find out what happened to you, but not here."

The girl nodded. "Okay, Shadow. Let's go out."

Sonic smiled and pointed in the direction he and Shadow came from. "Let's go!"

Shadow picked up Maria and skated out, Sonic right on his heels.

Eventually, they were back at Shadow's 'home', and he set Maria down. He sighed as he looked up at her. "It...really isn't much. I'm sorry."

Maria laughed as she opened the door. "It's fine! This is the first time I've ever been on solid ground! Everything is great so far."

Shadow chuckled quietly and followed her inside, but not before Sonic grabbed his arm. "Hmm?"

Sonic put his hands on Shadow's shoulders. "Good job, buddy. This is great!" He gently shook him. "You found Maria." He pulled Shadow into a hug, rubbing his back. He was a bit surprised when Shadow hugged him back almost immediately.

"Thank you, Sonic." Shadow closed his eyes and pulled back. "If it weren't for your help, I never would have found her."

Sonic chuckled. "If ya want, we can still go lookin' for pieces of the ARK. Maria can come, too!"

Shadow smiled a little. "Maybe. That's not a bad idea."

Sonic nodded, then grabbed Shadow's hands as if asking him a favor. "I'm gonna go home. You enjoy your time with Maria. Catch up on things. Introduce her to the place, show her around."

Shadow nodded. "I will. Thank you."

Sonic smiled and winked before letting him go. "Well, I'll see you around!"

Shadow nodded. "Goodbye."

Sonic was off in a blue flash.

Shadow turned inside and took a deep breath. "Maria?" he called, walking inside. He found her by the pile of old ARK scraps. "What are you doing?"

The girl turned to face him, smiling a little. "You've been collecting parts of it."

Shadow looked away. "Only small parts. Like souvenirs." he replied quietly.

Maria walked over to him and bent over to look at him. "Shadow...you wanted to remember, didn't you?"

Shadow let out a heavy sigh. "Maybe."

"Shadow, that's fine." she told him. Suddenly, a growling noise came from the core of her body. Her sky-blue eyes widened and she blushed, standing up straight with her arms around her stomach. "I-I'm sorry. I must be hungry."

Shadow allowed a smile to form in the corner of his mouth. He looked up at her and began walking toward the door. "Come on; There's plenty of food out here. I'll even show you around a bit."

Maria quickly broke out into a smile and followed him. "That would be great! Thank you, Shadow!"

He nodded as he led her out and toward the main city. "This isn't the planet we've always looked at, but it's rather similar." he explained.

She nodded and looked around, trying to take it all in. Then she gasped. Just as Shadow turned his head to see what was wrong, she ran away from him. "Look, Shadow!"

He focused his red eyes on her to find her kneeling by a small patch of flowers.

"They really are beautiful!" she exclaimed. She turned to face him and smiled. "Isn't it beautiful here?"

He chuckled slightly and nodded, walking over. "Like I said, it's similar to Earth."

Maria gently ran a finger over one of the petals of a blue flower. "They're softer than silk..." she mused under her breath.

Shadow knelt down beside her and plucked it from the ground, earning a gasp from Maria. "Don't worry. They're everywhere." he assured, holding it out to her.

She looked at him before her gaze traveled down to his hand. She took the flower into her own hand, slowly twirling it in her fingers as she studied it. "Wow..."

Shadow watched her and smiled some more. "You really like it?"

She nodded, looking up at him. "It's beautiful. They all are. It's so nice here. I mean...The ARK was great and all..."

Shadow flinched at her words. _Was._ he thought. _It's gone now..._ He looked up and listened as Maria went on.

"But here, the ground is soft, and everything is alive. It's better than any book said." She looked over at Shadow. "Thank you so much!" She suddenly lunged at him, taking him down as she wrapped her arms around him.

His eyes widened as he was thrown back to the ground, but he slowly returned the hug. "...It's no problem, Maria..."

She then sat up once more, then stood up, helped him up, and held up the flower. "What do I do with this?"

He smiled. "Here." He held his hand out. She gave it to him, and he went beside her, then tucked it into her hair, just behind her right ear. He stepped back to admire his work. "It looks nice." he told her with a nod.

She giggled and looked down. "It'll match everything I'm wearing!" She had by now forgotten all about her hunger...until her stomach rumbled again. "Heh..."

Shadow frowned slightly, upset with himself for forgetting about her needs. "Follow me." He skated off toward the city once more, but went at a pace she could keep up with as he knew she was running right behind him.

He stopped by a food cart and looked at her. "Will this do? Sonic is fond of them."

Maria looked over at the cart. "Chili...dogs?"

"It's a hot dog with chili on it. Nothing special."

She nodded. "Okay."

Shadow turned to the man who owned the cart and held up his index finger. After paying it off and getting it, he turned to Maria. "Just be careful. They can get kind of messy."

The girl nodded and took a bite. "Mm!" She swallowed the first bite, then looked at him. "This is pretty good!" she continued eating it until she was done, then licked her lips. Surprisingly enough, she hadn't gotten any food on her dress.

Shadow looked out, toward the mountains. "Maria, come with me. There's something else you need to see."

* * *

That night, Maria slept, leaning against a tree. The leaves cast moving shadows on the ground, and over Maria, as the breeze blew gently.

Shadow stood on the cliff's edge which overlooked a lake. Said lake reflected the twinkling stars and shining moon. His arms were crossed as he glared out into the night.

 _Maria is back now. She's really here. And she may not really be on Earth, but she may as well be. She's finally back with me. And she actually seems happy. I wouldn't give that up for the world. Nor am I going to let anything happen to her... Not again._ He tilted his head slightly downward, narrowing his eyes and gripping his own arms even tighter. _Nothing will ever hurt her again!_ He relaxed slightly and uncrossed his arms, turning to face the girl. He walked over to her, his shoes only making muffled noises in the grass. He knelt down and watched her, sighing. _Maria, I promise you this. I'll protect you, no matter what. As my first friend, you taught me so much. It's time I repay that. Thank you, Maria. Believe me. I'll protect you, even at the cost of my life. I won't let anything like that happen again. I promise, Maria..._

* * *

Maria opened her eyes to see Shadow. "Hmm..." She sat up and stretched. "Mm, good morning, Shadow." she yawned.

He looked up at her. "Good morning. How did you sleep?"

She nodded. "Pretty well. You?"

Silence.

She looked over at him. "Shadow?"

He only shook his head.

"You...you didn't sleep?" she asked. "Why not?"

He looked at the ground. "I don't need to. And besides, even if I wanted to..."

"What is it?" Maria pressed.

"I couldn't." Shadow finished. "I was watching over you anyway."

Maria sighed and stood up. "That's fine, I guess. As long as it doesn't hurt you."

Shadow stood up as well and looked up at her. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, actually. Do they have eggs here?" she asked.

Shadow chuckled. "They have everything here. Come on."

She followed him back into the city, but dared to glance back just once more at the tree.

* * *

Shadow led her right into a takeout restaurant. She got eggs, bacon, some fried ham, and a chocolate chip muffin. They both decided to go back to the tree by the lake, and once there, Maria began eating quickly.

"What's the rush?" Shadow asked her, worried something might be wrong.

"Nothing. I just want to allow for a whole day of exploring!" she replied between mouthfuls. "I love it here. I wanna see everything." Soon, all that was left was some ham and half of the muffin. She looked at Shadow, who was staring up into the sky. "Shadow." she said, calling him back from whatever thoughts he had. "Have some."

He looked at the food as she pushed the plate toward him. "Hm?...I don't need it, you know that. Eat it. You need it."

She shook her head. "You'll like it. Just try a little bit." she told him.

Shadow sighed and picked up a piece of bacon, breaking a bit off on the plate. He took a small bite, then finished it off and looked up at Maria again. "I had a little. Now finish the food."

She pointed at the muffin. "You never tried this! It's good, trust me."

Shadow held his breath before releasing yet another sigh. "Fine." He picked up the muffin half, tore _it_ in half, and ate it. "Mm, great. Now finish eating."

Maria shook her head. "Don't tell me you don't like it!"

Shadow looked at her, eyes narrowed slightly. "It's fine. But you need to eat. Come on." He pushed the plate back toward her.

"Aww. Fine." Maria chuckled, finishing off the food. She then grabbed the plate and stood up. "There. Where should we put this?"

Shadow took it. "I'll throw it away. But now what do you want to do?"

"Hmm. Well..."

Just as they turned to head back to the city, Maria gasped. Shadow immediately went in front of her, dropping the plate as he held his arms out protectively.

"Who is that...he looks just like you!" Maria exclaimed, trembling.

Shadow narrowed his eyes as he glared at his miscolored reflection. "Mephiles."


	9. Old and New Challenges

Sonic yawned and stretched, the sunlight flooding in from the single window in his room.

 _Guess I forgot to close it last night...Oh well._ he thought with a chuckle. He stood up and went to close the window, then gasped. "Shadow?!" he asked himself. The black and red hedgehog was kneeling, shaking something that Sonic himself couldn't see. But, he looked desperate. "Shadow! Hang on, I'm coming!" he called, despite knowing nobody could hear him. He quickly ran outside and dashed up to Shadow, standing behind him. "What's wrong?!" he asked quickly.

Shadow looked up and stared at Sonic, red eyes wide and afraid. "It's Maria!"

"Huh?" Sonic peered over his friend's shoulder and gasped. "She's not awake?"

Shadow looked back down to Maria, shaking his head. "She just...fainted." He once more firmly grasped her shoulders and shook her. "Maria! Wake up!"

The girl was unresponsive as Shadow shook her. It was only when Sonic knelt down on her other side that she began to stir. "...Huh?" She opened her eyes, slowly. "Shadow?"

Shadow grabbed her hand. "Come on. Stand up."

Maria sat up, but continued to watch Shadow. "What do you mean? What happened to me?"

Shadow sighed and stood up with her. "You remember what was always wrong on the ARK?" he asked quietly.

Now, as Sonic stood, both he and Maria tilted their heads at the ebony and crimson hedgehog before them. "What _do_ you mean, Shad?"

Shadow looked up at Maria. "I mean... Neuro-Immuno Deficiency Syndrome."

Maria gasped. "Oh! Now I remember..."

Sonic was sort of lost, but he didn't say anything for now. _I'll ask Shadow later._ he thought, walking around and going to stand beside Shadow.

The ebony hedgehog looked as though he were at a funeral. "Maria... I'm sorry."

The girl shook her head. "It's fine. It's not your fault. I forgot."

Shadow only sighed. "I should have remembered. I know it was one of my top priorities aboard the ARK." he muttered.

Sonic bit his lip before speaking up. "Shadow, I can totally understand why you feel like it's your fault, but it was most likely that, in your sudden...happiness..." He took note that Shadow blushed at this word. "... That Maria is back, you simply lost track of it."

Shadow growled a little. "But it was one of my biggest concerns! It was a daily requirement that I go to see if Maria was doing okay; if her disease wasn't going to hold her captive in her room that day, and if it did, I would stay with her so she wasn't alone." he spat.

Maria's eyes widened as she remembered the many times such a thing happened. The first one was certainly one of the best.

* * *

 _"Alright, Maria. You just stay and rest today, okay?"_

 _Blue eyes looked up and filled with tears as they gazed upon the figure exiting the room. "But Shadow, I'm so lonely here! I know grandfather has duties, and can't stay for too long, but...Can't you stay? Please?"_

 _"Maria, you know I have jobs as well..." Shadow protested._

 _Maria fiddled with the bedsheets in her hands. "Please, Shadow...I used to be so lonely here, until you came. You're my best friend. My only real friend."_

 _Shadow's eyes widened, and he slowly allowed his red eyes to travel over to, and focus on, the crying girl before him. He suddenly rushed in, closing the door behind him. He grabbed her hands and held them up, drawing her attention away from the sheets and up to him. "Maria...Ill stay if you really want me to. I'm sure the professor will understand. Okay?"_

 _She nodded and smiled a little. "Okay...Thank you, Shadow..."_

 _He nodded, then gasped as she suddenly pulled him into a hug. Slowly, he reached his arms around her as well, and hugged her back._

* * *

Maria couldn't help but smile a little. "Yeah..."

Shadow sighed. "Only the professor knew what kind of medicine you had to have, o suppress the symptoms in a way. Here, I don't know what you need or how to get it..."

Sonic gasped. "Eggman!" he exclaimed. Both Shadow and Maria turned to him, confused, but for different reasons. He immediately began explaining. "He found you out, Shadow, and Gerald had created you, documented you and all the research done to perfect you. If he had records of you, surely he had some sort of record of Maria's medicine! Egg an probably has it somewhere!"

"Ohh..." Shadow put a finger to his mouth in thought. "I hadn't realized that. Do you suppose we should ask?"

"Maybe...But how will we explain to him that Maria is alive?" Sonic worried.

"Simple. We found her in a capsule aboard a broken piece of the ARK. There's no point in lying about something that doesn't hold any danger." Shadow replied.

"Of course!" Sonic agreed, nodding. "It's perfect!" He then tuned to Maria. "Don't worry, you'll be better in no time at all!"

Maria hesitated. "Of course... Thank you, both of you, but... Who is 'Eggman'? Should I know him? Does he know who I am?"

Shadow paused for a minute. "...Eggman is what Sonic calls your cousin, Ivo."

Maria gasped. "Ivo?! He's still alive?"

Sonic nodded. "And kicking. He's aged fairly well for a human." He then took note of the glare Shadow just sent him, and decided it would be best if he was quiet for now.

Maria clasped her hands together. "I would love to see him! Could I come with?"

Shadow sighed, smiling a little. _You never change, Maria. Always polite and so innocent it hurts._ He nodded. "...Yes, you can. Just be careful. Stay close to me." he replied quietly.

Sonic looked over at his friend and smiled sadly. _Shadow is finally happy...I thought that day would never come. I'm just surprised that he found happiness through Maria of all people. She was thought to be dead by everyone. Somebody must have tried to keep her alive somehow...Maybe they even knew Shadow would live on and keep looking for her. He's a dedicated friend._ He sighed a bit and put a hand on Shadow's shoulder. When the ebony hedgehog looked over at him, he grinned.

Shadow seemed to understand the message that Sonic was offering, as he nodded once, smiling a bit himself.

Maria interrupted their silent exchange with a gasp. "Wait, is that him?" She pointed out, just behind the two before her.

Following her gaze and finger, both hedgehogs whipped around to see a familiar face.

"Eggman!" Sonic gasped.

"Hello...Sonic. Shadow..." Eggman trailed off, staring at Maria. The girl assumed a slightly scared look, taking a step back.

"I-Ivo?" she asked quietly.

"...Maria?"

Shadow growled quietly. Noticing, Sonic grabbed his arm. "Hang on. Just...let them do their thing." the blue hedgehog soothed quietly.

"Maria, is that really you?!" Eggman asked, lowering his floating transport to gaze at her.

Nodding, Maria stepped up to the transport before lightly resting her hand on the side of it. "Ivo...I never even met you."

Said man shook his head. "No, you haven't...How was life on the ARK?" he asked her, wanting to hear of it.

This set Shadow off. He didn't know why, but that single question pissed him off more than losing a battle to Sonic. He walked up to Eggman and Maria, then grabbed the girl by the shoulder, yanking her back. "You don't _deserve_ to know her!" he snapped.

Ivo had a shocked look on his face. "What?! Why?!"

"You heard me! Stay away from her!" Shadow spat. "Or I'll kill you." he added darkly.

Sonic gasped. He could tell Shadow wasn't kidding about that. "Shadow! Hang on! What's wrong?!" He raced forward and managed to pull Shadow off of Maria, though the ebony-crimson hedgehog only began shouting angrily, cursing at him and reaching out to Maria. "Shadow, calm down!"

Shadow turned and glared at him. "Let me go, now!"

Ivo took this chance to look at Maria. "Do you want to come with me?" he asked quietly.

She nodded a bit, smiling. She was doing her best to ignore Shadow's outbursts, as seeing him like that made her sad. She made her way onto his transport, her hands holding the sides as she looked down. "Wow! This is cool!" she sighed, grinning down below her. Naturally, though, her gaze travelled to Shadow, who was struggling against Sonic's grip.

"Let me go! Ivo, get her down _now_! I mean it, let her go or I'll kill you!" he was yelling. Sonic had him by the arms, but Shadow was glaring at Ivo with such hatred... His body shook with fury as he continued to struggle against Sonic. Being as mad as he was, he was even stronger than usual, but Sonic's determination to protect Ivo (a rare occurrence) made him stronger as well. Shadow only kept yelling, cursing at Ivo. "I swear if you don't get her off that damn contraption...!"

Sonic frowned and leaned forward, thrusting his knees into the back of Shadow's. This made te hedgehog collapse to his knees, but this only made him more angry.

"Let me go, faker!" Shadow screamed.

"Why are you so mad at Eggman?!" Sonic demanded.

"Because! He tried to ruin Maria's dream!" Shadow spat. "And now he wants to be all nice and friendly with her!"

"What do you mean by 'ruin Maria's dream'?" Sonic pressed. He was glad he seemed to be getting through to Shadow, despite only recieving vague answers.

"He wanted to take over the Earth! Maria looked at it from the ARK - as did I - and dreamed of going there one day. But all _he_ wanted to do," he shot a glare at Ivo, "was ruin everything!" He then somehow managed to rip free of Sonic's grip and stood up, then ran at Ivo. "Get her off now!"

Sonic gasped and leapt up. "Shadow, STOP!" He grabbed his friend by the leg, then yanked him back and wrapped his arms around his neck. "Calm down!"

Shadow struggled as Sonic sat down, forcing him down as well. "Let me go!" His breathing was now becoming deep and uneven, but still he fought on. He glanced up at Maria, who was staring at him, her eyes filled with tears. He quickly looked away, but soon his red orbs were blurred by tears as he glared at the ground. He finally relaxed and leaned against Sonic, who seemed relieved at the reaction. "...Ivo..." he muttered.

The mustached man looked over at him. "What, Shadow?"

Ignoring the annoyance in his voice, Shadow muttered, "I swear if you do anything to hurt her again, I'm going to kill you...slowly, painfully-"

"That's enough, Shadow." Sonic whispered.

Shadow closed his eyes, his breathing shaky. "Don't let him hurt her..." He sighed heavily. "I don't want her with him, I don't want her near him..."

Maria glanced at Ivo and hugged him. "I'll be back. But..."

He hugged her back, nodding. "I understand."

Maria leapt down, then walked over to Shadow. She smiled at Sonic, who returned the favor, before kneeling down beside Shadow. "...Shadow... Calm down. I'm fine."

Shadow winced and looked away. "I don't ever want to see you around him again." he spat quietly.

Maria sighed. "Shadow... You know I can't promise you that."

"Why not?!" he demanded, sitting up (as much as he could with Sonic restraining him).

"...He's my cousin. And I haven't seen him before." Maria explained.

Sonic nodded. "She's right." he agreed. "You can't blame her for wanting to get to know him."

"No, but I can blame him for existing." Shadow snapped hatefully.

Maria sighed and closed her eyes, then opened them and focused them on Shadow. "...Imagine if Sonic never met you before, and now you did meet. Wouldn't you want to catch up with him, get to know him a bit more?" she asked softly.

"No way in hell!" Shadow yelled. "I hate him! I hate you, Sonic!" He began struggling against the blue hedgehog once more, but froze when Sonic dug his knee into Shadow's lower back.

"Shadz...I know you don't mean that. You don't mean any of this. You're just mad because you don't want Maria with Eggman..." Sonic murmured.

Shadow growled at him before falling limp and slumping over. "Shut up..."

Sonic sighed and shook his head. "It's fine. It's not like he's gonna hurt her." he retorted.

Meanwhile, Ivo watched all of this from his little transport. "...Shadow...You're being stupid."

Shadow yelled angrily. "Shut up! Nobody even asked you-..."

"Asked me, what?" Ivo teased, knowing the only thing Shadow called him was Doctor, or 'the Doctor' to others or himself.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Sonic groaned. This was getting annoying. So he began thinking of ways to end this fight. "Shadow, how about you go spend some more time with Maria, but then let her off to go see him. Just for a day or-"

"I don't want her with him at _all_!" Shadow cut in.

"She's going with him whether you like it or not!" Sonic yelled. "Let me finish! Stop acting like a little kid that has to share his game and hear me out, Shadow!"

Shadow flinched when the sudden harsh, loud tone reached his ears. "...Fine...what?"

Sonic sighed before continuing. "Hang with her for a couple days, then let her be with him for a day or so. Not long. Okay?"

Shadow grit his teeth, ignoring the fact that one of his (though small) fangs was digging into the corner of his lip. "...Fine." he muttered.

Sonic nodded. "Good. Okay. That good for you, Maria?"

The girl smiled and nodded. "Thank you." She then reached out towards Shadow. "I can take him now." she whispered to Sonic.

"Okay." Sonic heaved Shadow up to his feet. "There ya go."

Without a second thought, Shadow walked to Maria and plopped himself in her lap, then curled into himself and nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck. A bit surprised at this, Maria wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back.

Sonic stood up then, and put his hands on his hips. "There...Finally." he breathed.

Maria sent Ivo a quick glance, and the two nodded once. A silent agreement between the two was made at that exact moment: We'll see each other soon enough.

Meanwhile, an upset Shadow lay in Maria's lap, slowly falling asleep. _Why does it matter to him whether or not he gets caught up with her?! I don't want them to... I just..._ He then fell asleep, his face buried in his closest friend's shoulder.


	10. Shadow's Downfall

_**In response to your reviews...**_

 _ **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT : Haha! I'm glad you like it! :D**_

 _ **thedreamcastfan**_ _ **: I'm glad you like it. :) And yeah, I've been looking for a good Sonic/Shadow story that's not Sonadow. Couldn't find one, so...Why not make one? XD haha Thanks!**_

 _ **Guest**_ _ **: haha, That's good. I hope you enjoy the rest of it just as much!**_

* * *

Shadow slowly opened his eyes and looked around. "Huh..." Realizing he was now laying on his side, he looked up...To see Maria's sleeping face. He smiled a little at the calm expression she had, and decided to let her be for now. He leaned back to give her room, but that's when he felt something lightly resting on his side. His piercing gaze flew down to see whatever it was that had him in its grasp...and he suddenly blushed darkly. He quickly curled up a bit and hid his face in the crook of Maria's neck. _M-Maria is...She's..._ cuddling _me..._ he thought with horror. AS much as he loved her, and wanted to keep her safe and happy, he was _not_ one to cuddle. But, he didn't want to wake her or make her upset, so he just closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

Having seen everything, Sonic smirked a bit. _Don't think I didn't see that, Shadow..._ He chuckled quietly and shook his head, standing up. _I've been up for a good hour or so now...Maybe I should go and get some food for when Maria wakes up._ he decided, walking off into the city.

Shadow heard everything behind him, and did his best not to run after Sonic. _So he saw! I swear, if he's going off to tell anybody...The_ moment _Maria releases me from this affectionate hold, he is_ dead _!_ He let out a quiet growl, but quickly fell silent when he felt Maria move.

"Hm...? Shadow, was that you? Are you hungry?" she asked, assuming that the noise was the hedgehog's stomach.

He quickly shook his head and gently pressed against her shoulders as he tried to break free. "No. I'm not hungry. C-could you let me go?" he asked a bit quietly.

She giggled and gave him a quick squeeze before releasing him. "Did you sleep okay?"

He nodded. He didn't even remember dreaming...But then again, he wasn't exactly programmed to do such a thing.

"Where'd Sonic go?" Maria asked, standing up. Shadow stood up beside her as she lanced around. "Hm...Maybe he went to go get food." she mused. "Wanna wait for him?"

"Uhh...Sure." Shadow replied, looking up at her. He was still so...amazed... _What a miracle you survived, Maria..._ he thought, looking down at the ground. _Was it pure luck...? The Chaos Emeralds? Or maybe..._

Maria broke into his thoughts when she gasped. "Shadow, look! Sonic is back!"

Shadow held back a groan as he looked up and nodded. "Yeah...Let's see what he's got."

The two walked over to Sonic, who held three chilidogs and a small, white box. "Here ya go, Maria." he said, grinning as he held the box out to her.

"Oh, thank you!" She opened it up and beamed upon seeing the goods inside. "Oooh, what's this? It looks amazing!"

"Pancakes." Sonic replied, handing her a fork. "They've already got syrup and butter on them, so they're ready to go!"

Maria giggled. "Okay! Thank you!" She quickly began eating the newfound food, and closed her eyes. After swallowing the third bite, she mumbled, "Mmm...These are really good..." She then began eating a bit faster...Until, that is, Shadow grabbed her arm. She looked down at him. "Hmm?"

"Don't eat so fast. They're really rich...They'll give you issues later." he warned. Though it was just a food, he spoke as if it were a poison.

"Oh...Okay." she replied. "Would you like a bite?" she offered, holding out a small bite for him.

"No thanks."

"Oh, come on, Shadow..."

"I said no - Augh!" Shadow quickly swallowed the food that was put into his mouth. "Maria!"

The girl giggled as she held another bite to her own mouth. "Sorry! But you had to try some! It's good, right?" she said before taking another bite. "...There! Done. Thank you, Sonic!"

Sonic was grinning, having watched everything as he gulped down all three chilidogs. "Anytime!" the blue hedgehog chuckled, taking the trash. "I'll be back in a sec."

Maria nodded and turned to Shadow as Sonic zipped off. "Are you okay?" she asked, a bit worried now. "You seem a bit...grumpy, today..."

"I'm fine!" he snapped, crossing his arms and turning away.

Maria flinched. "Shadow...No you're not. What is it?"

Shadow closed his eyes to avoid glaring at her. "You know."

She sighed. "Is this about Ivo?" His only response was a dismissive scoff. "Shadow...Please, don't be so mad about this...I could really use this...And so could he."

Shadow opened his eyes and slowly turned to face her. "And what about me?" he asked quietly.

"Wh-what about you?"

"Does it really matter that much to you?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Um..." Maria hesitated. "Would it bother you if I said yes...?"

"Yes." he replied, uncrossing his arms and turning away.

Maria sighed. "Shadow..."

Sonic soon returned. "So! What are the plans for today?" he asked, his cheery tone not at all matching the mood Maria or Shadow felt.

"I'm going back to my stupid 'house'." Shadow spat, stomping off.

Maria looked back at him, on the verge of tears. "Shadow, wait!"

Shadow turned to face her. "Go talk to the doctor." he snapped. He then turned and skated off.

Maria covered her face with her hands. "Shadow..."

Sonic looked horrified. _Since when does Shadow talk like that to_ Maria _of all people?!_ he thought. "Maria...Is this about you talking to Eggman again?" he asked, slowly approaching the heartbroken girl.

She nodded, looking down at him as she let her hands rest at her sides. "He's so upset about it...I just don't understand why...Surely he's not that bad of a man...?"

Sonic looked down, deciding to keep the man's evil deeds to only those who knew...for now. "Yeah..." He then looked up at her. "I'll go talk to him, okay?"

She nodded. "Um...Can I come with?"

He nodded. "I don't see why not." And they started walking back to Shadow's makeshift home.

* * *

Shadow growled loudly and slammed the door. His ears twitched as he heard a small snapping noise, but he ignored it. _That door can shatter for all I care._ he thought, frowning. _At least then it'll represent my..._

He plopped down into the old chair in the front room, his hands tightly clutching the edges of the chair's arms. His ears lowered, and he could feel the growl building up deep in his chest.

In his mind, all he could think of was Maria's deep desire to go to Earth...and then Eggman taking over said planet. He closed his eyes tightly and let out a yell. "Dammit, Maria! What do you _see_ in this man?!" He stood up and grabbed the piece of the ARK with his name partially printed onto it. "It was the Professor..." he mumbled, frowning. "...Not that madman..." He carelessly dropped the doorpiece, but then stepped back as the door to his own home was thrown open. "What-?!"

In the doorway stood Sonic, and behind him, Maria. Sonic was the first to speak. "Shadow, come here."

Shadow glared and stepped back again. "No, get out!"

Sonic stepped inside. "Come here and talk to us. Especially Maria."

"No, get out of my house!" Shadow said, taking two steps back.

"Shadow...this isn't helping anything. Come _here_." Sonic calmly replied, now walking over to him.

"Sonic, get _out_ of my house, _now_...I mean it..." Shadow ordered, shaking a bit. "Go away, and take Maria with you!"

Sonic only sighed heavily and shook his head. "Come on, Shadz..."

Shadow growled now. "Go!"

Sonic suddenly lunged forward and tackled Shadow, his arms tightly wrapped around the other's waist as he took him down.

Shadow squirmed. "Get off of me, Faker!"

Sonic grinned. _I'm getting to him!_ he thought. "Shadow, listen. You need to talk to Maria...okay?" he asked quietly, starting to get off of his rival.

Shadow did his best to shove the blue one off, but it didn't work all that well. "N-no! She's going to talk to the Doctor! Let her!" he spat viciously, writhing back and forth. He suddenly raised his leg and shoved his knee into Sonic's stomach.

"Oof!" Sonic grunted as he fell forward. "Oww...Faker, what was that for?!" He then shoved Shadow down and stood up, glaring down at him. "You're gonna talk to Maria sooner or later! This has gone _way_ past out of hand!"

Shadow then got up on one hand and spun backwards, kicking Sonic across the face.

Sonic cried out and stepped back, putting a hand up to his cheek. "Ow-! Shadow!?" He winced as he felt blood seeping out of his newfound cut. "Shadow, come on!"

Shadow only growled. "Get the hell out of my house before I kill you!" he yelled.

Sonic crossed his arms. "Fine, Shadow. Be alone. Sorry for trying to help you. You'll be fine on your own..." He turned to head out, ushering Maria back. After motioning for her to keep walking, he turned back. His next words were but a whisper, but in the sudden, dead silence of the old house, they may as well have been a scream. "I'm sure Maria's just fine, too."

* * *

Shadow flinched as the door slammed shut for the second time that day. "...Dammit, Sonic!" He stood up then, looking down. "Idiot..." He glanced at the red, metal rim of his right shoe. He frowned upon seeing the blood that was there. He'd definitely done some damage to Sonic's face...

"Who cares?! I told him to get out, anyways! If that's what it takes, then I'll do it!" he shouted angrily, going back to sit down. "This is ridiculous. Stupid Faker. 'Come and talk to Maria' he says...but he can't force me!" His ruby red orbs suddenly shifted their attention to a shining spot on the floor. He winced a bit when he saw that it was blood. _...How much is he bleeding...?_ he wondered quietly. _Did...did I go too far...?_ He groaned and sat back. "Sonic..." He looked up at the door. " _Maria_..."

* * *

Sonic winced as he touched his cheek. He leaned closer to the mirror and tilted his head so he could see it even better. "Hmm..."

"It looks kinda...deep..." Maria mumbled from behind him.

He tuned to face her. "It is deeper than I expected...But I'll be okay." he replied, offering her a small smile. "After all, he probably barely knew what he was doing. But..." He sighed. "I know he's sorry for it. I know he feels bad..."

Maria nodded. "I know he's just trying to look out for me...but..." She trailed off.

"But he's making it hard on everyone, including himself." Sonic finished.

She nodded again. "Exactly."

"So...I think you should go see Eggman today. I'll talk it out with Shadow. How does that sound?" he offered.

She smiled a little. "Alright."

"Okay. I'll lead you to his place. But first..." He led her off to Tails' workshop, where he found a small wrist device. "Just press the screen if anything happens, okay? If he asks what it is, say it's a watch because we're expecting you back by 6. And if you hold your finger on the screen, it is a watch, see?" He strapped it on her wrist and demonstrated. The time flashed up on the screen in bold blue numbers; 12:17. "Just tap it and it'll send an alarm to mine." He lifted his glove to reveal a device identical to hers.

She beamed. "Wow...okay! Thanks!"

He nodded. "Anytime. Ready to go?"

She nodded. "I'm all set!"

"Okay. Let's go then." Sonic turned and led her off.

* * *

Sonic knocked on the door before him. It opened within seconds. "Eggman."

"Hello, Sonic. Maria. Uh...where's Shadow?" the doctor asked, leaning out a bit.

"He's staying at his own house for now." Sonic explained. "Well...enjoy your time, Maria." he said, waving as he turned to walk off.

Maria stepped inside and nodded, waving back. "Thanks, Sonic." She smiled as the door closed behind her. "...Ivo."

Eggman smiled. "Heh, hello, Maria. How are you?"

"I'm great. Just...a little sad about Shadow."

"Come, sit down..." Ivo led her to a couch, where the two sat beside each other. "...Is he still mad about this?"

Maria sighed and looked down, nodding. "...Yes. I don't know why...He's always mad about this...But I don't think he fully understands what this means to me."

"Well, if it's any condolence, you're free to leave at any time if you feel he's been alone too long." he told her.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you, Ivo...You really are a good person."

He chuckled. "Well...you see...he's not entirely wrong about me wanting to take over the Earth and such..."

Maria tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Perhaps I should explain this idea, the 'Eggman Empire', to you..."


	11. Shadow's Remorse

"Just do it, Shadow."

"Sonic...Go away."

"Shadow, come on!"

"Go, Sonic, before I kick you again."

The blue hedgehog growled and walked over to Shadow, roughly grabbing his arm and yanking him to his feet. "Get up and come with me!" he snapped.

Shadow yanked his arm back, but Sonic kept a firm grip and pulled him closer.

"You need to apologize to Maria." Sonic said sternly.

Shadow stepped back and ripped his arm away, nearly dislocating his shoulder in the process. He then leapt up and kicked Sonic in the chest, knocking him down. He landed lightly on his feet and put a shoe on Sonic's wrist, slowly applying pressure. "Get out of my house or lose your damn hand."

Sonic's eyes widened. "Hey, Shadow, hang on!" He tried to move his arm, but his wrist was pinned...and it was starting to really burn. "Shadow, don't you think this is getting a little out of control?!" He noticed that Shadow seemed to react a bit to this, and quickly decided to try something else...though this would mean using his memories and feelings against him...But he had to do this. For Shadow. For Maria...For the friendship between the two.

"Shadow, just imagine how Maria feels about all of this! You realize she's heartbroken? She feels like this is her fault, for wanting to go talk to Eggman! She wanted to spend time with you, as well! But you're just pushing her away!" Sonic cried, before taking a deep breath.

Shadow's eyes widened, and he looked up, lifting his foot a bit as he stared at the wall. _Maria..._

 _"Shadow...I want to get better soon...So we can go down there together!"_

 _"Shadow...Please...Do it for me...For a better future!"_

 _A...better...future...Our future...That's right...You're...back..._

Shadow fell back, and attempted to regain his balance, but just ended up falling on his side, groaning quietly as memories from 50 years ago flooded his mind. His eyes slowly closed, until all Sonic could see were white slits with faded red orbs hidden beneath the night-black lids. "M...Maria..."

Sonic quickly stood and picked Shadow up, frowning sadly. _Forgive me, Shadow...But hopefully, this will change your mind on some things..._

Shadow's eyes finally closed completely, and he fell limp, unconscious. Even still, memories of his past continued to swirl around in his head. All he could see was Maria's smiling face...Her eyes filled with hope...Her small form pressed against a window as she gazed down at the Earth beside him...

And then, her standing by a painfully familiar control panel...Her hands on that damned lever. All he could hear now were her words...Her begging him to make the world a better place...He felt his own hands pounding the glass, his vision blurring with tears... _Maria..._

Then, he heard it. That wretched gunshot.

 _"Mariaaa!_ "

And then, gravity seemed to stop as he was thrown to the top of the escape pod. Regaining his balance, he looked out and saw...Space. The stars. Endess waves of stars. Countless galaxies...

He looked down. Earth was hurtling toward him...But Maria was not beside him.

Suddenly, that vision vanished, and he now saw...Sonic beside him, in his Super Form. Looking up, he saw the Biolizard, a prototype of himself...attached to the Ark as it had been, ready to fire the Eclipse Cannon to destroy the Earth... His own thoughts echoed through his head as he neared his enemy.

 _"I won't let you destroy the world Maria loved so much!"_

 _"Shadow, please...I beg of you...Give them a chance to be happy!"_

He then saw himself falling again, to the Earth, thinking what he'd believed, at the time, to be his last thoughts...

 _Maria...this is what you wanted, right...? This is my promise I made to you..._

* * *

Shadow slowly opened his eyes, groaning quietly. He put a hand up to his head and winced. "Ow..." He had a terrible headache, and felt like burying his head in ice. Looking around, he saw it was dark out. And there he was in...a bed. He was on his back, covers neatly placed over him and a pillow gently supporting his head.

 _What...?_ He turned onto his side, taking another look around. _...This...looks like Sonic's room..._ he thought, blinking a couple of times. "S-Soni..." He stopped himself from allowing the word to fully come out of his mouth. _Why am I here...?_ _I can't remember what happened before this..._ He buried his face in his hands. _Maria..._ He bit his lip rather forcefully, ignoring the blood he tasted immediately after doing so. Instead he focused on preventing the tears from coming. But it was to no avail. Salty drops spilled freely into his palms. But...why?

 _Why am I doing this...? Why do I feel so...guilty...? And...Where is Sonic? Is he with Maria...?_ He looked up through the slits his fingers had allowed, a horrifying thought having shoved its way into his mind. _Do-do they...hate me now...?_ He suddenly remembered everything... Maria's tears, Sonic's cut cheek, and the blue hedgehog's stomach, wrist, and chest, which were undoubtedly bruised by now...

 _What have I done?!_ Shadow turned and buried his face in the pillow, clutching the sides of it as his body was racked with sobs. "Damn it!" He pulled his knees up beneath him and screamed.

"I'm sorry!"

He then turned onto his side, facing the wall now, and held the pillow to his chest tightly. "Please forgive me..." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Maria...I only wanted to protect you...I didn't mean to do this to you...And Sonic...I didn't want to hurt you...I don't want to hurt anybody..." He then hid his face again in the pillow. "Please!"

 _Couldn't I just use Chaos Control to go back and fix it...?_ a small voice in the back of his head suggested.

 _No..._ Shadow sniffled a bit, wiping his eyes with his arms. _I'd probably just do the same thing...Or make it worse...Besides..._

He thought back, to the look of utter sadness he'd seen on Maria's face during one of his...'breakdowns'. He then thought of the blood on his shoe from when he kicked Sonic in the face...and the look of sudden pain on Sonic's face when he'd kneed him in the stomach, kicked him in the chest, and even stepped on his wrist...

 _...I deserve to feel this pain._

He turned back onto his stomach and continued sobbing, even sometimes screaming into the pillow.

He didn't notice as the door slowly opened, allowing a thin ray of light from the hallway to enter the room.

There stood Sonic and Maria, both shocked. They didn't know Shadow would cry over what he'd done...

Sonic turned to Maria and politely ushered her out of the room. "I think if he sees you right now...he may just feel worse...Wait in the living room."

Maria nodded and cast one more glance at Shadow, deeply concerned for her beloved friend, but trusting Sonic's judgment, and hurried out.

Sonic slowly approached his sobbing counterpart, then lightly put a hand on Shadow's back. "Hey..."

Shadow reared his head back and screamed, then whipped around to face Sonic. Immediately, upon seeing who it was, the black and red hedgehog thrusted the pillow between him and the blue hedgehog.

"Ge-get out..." he said, attempting to control his breathing. "Go a-way..."

Sonic only shook his head and leaned forward, gently wrapping his arms around Shadow in a hug. "Shh...Calm down, Shadow..."

The hybrid hedgehog froze and tensed up, then bowed his head, eyes squeezed shut. "Sonic...Don't do this...I'm telling you to leave...please, I beg you..."

Sonic sighed and rubbed Shadow's back. "It's okay, Shadow. You're okay. We forgive you. We know how you feel."

Shadow suddenly pulled Sonic against him, burying his face in the other's shoulder and continuing to sob. "No, you don't...! I hurt you, and Maria...I don't want to hurt any more people... I told Maria, all those years ago...that I would protect people, and give them a chance to be happy...That was my promise to her. I swore to her I would, and I've already failed so many times...but in front of her...That's the worst of all..." He then yelled incoherently, pushing Sonic away and hiding in the pillows again.

Sonic gently grabbed Shadow's arms and pulled on them. "Shadow, I promise you, we do forgive you. We'd be the first ones...please know that..."

Shadow pulled his arms back up to his chest and shook his head. "You shouldn't, don't waste your time with me, I'll just mess up again. I'm insane. I keep messing up. I do the same thing; I kill, I make others upset. And yet, I always expect different results. And it doesn't change. 'Ultimate Lifeform'...That's a lie. More like Ultimate Failure."

Sonic yanked Shadow up to a sitting position and hugged him tightly. "Shadow, you are _not_ a failure, and you are _not_ insane! Do you understand me?! You're like family to us! We'll always forgive you! You _are_ the Ultimate Lifeform, and you've gotten so far! You've even found Maria and saved her from eternal sleep! Imagine what would happen if someone else found her, Shadow!"

"I don't-"

" _Think_ about it! She'd be taken away, tested on, questioned... But now that she's with you, she has your protection. That's what happened with Eggman, too! You just wanted to protect her! That's what you were doing, right?"

"What about-"

"Right?!" Sonic hugged him tighter.

"...Yes..." Shadow mumbled, nodding a bit. "But...I hurt you in the process."

"Shadow, it's okay. I know you feel guilty about that."

Shadow nodded silently.

"You know how I know?" Sonic asked quietly, pulling away slightly.

Shadow looked up at Sonic, red orbs meeting the gaze of green ones. "...How...?"

"Because... This..." Sonic put two fingers up against Shadow's chest, where a heart did indeed beat, though faintly. "...is one of the purest hearts I know."

Shadow looked down, at Sonic's hand, at the two fingers that were lightly pressed to his chest. "...But..."

"Shadow, everybody has a bit of Chaos in their heart. But it's their will to Control it which gives them purity. Their choice to be good. They choose not to be Black-Hearted Evil, filled with hatred and darkness. Instead, they become Brave-Hearted Heroes...not just of themselves, but of any and all who are willing to accept their help...Sometimes even those who resist it." Sonic murmured, looking up to see Shadow watching him steadily. "...Okay?"

Shadow nodded slowly, and hugged Sonic tightly. "Okay...I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Sonic said quietly.

Shadow sighed heavily, finally feeling his eyes dry up a bit. "Good..."

Sonic then pulled away, smiling a bit at his rival/friend. "Let's go talk to Maria." he said. "She'll be glad to see you."

Shadow's eyes widened. "She's here...?"

Sonic nodded. "She is. Her visit with Eggman ended while you were out. But she understands what you're going through, too. We may not be able to empathize, but we can definitely sympathize and forgive you." he replied with a smile.

Shadow nodded once, slowly. "Okay...Let's go, then."

Sonic stood up straight and helped Shadow out of the bed, then lead him to the door and out into the living room.

Maria lay on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Seeing the two hedgehogs arrive out of the corner of her eye, she sat up and turned to see them. "Hello..."

Sonic stopped walking in the middle of the room, gently pushing Shadow forward to urge him to keep going.

Shadow walked up to Maria and knelt down beside the couch, crossing his arms and laying them on it as he rested his chin on his arms. He then stared at her, his eyes filled with sadness, frustration, and guilt.

The blonde girl leaned over a bit and grabbed one of his hands with one of her own. "Shadow...Are you going to be okay?"

He nodded slightly, then reached up and wrapped his arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. "Please forgive me..."

She hugged him back, her arms at the small of his back as she pulled him up and onto the couch beside her. "Of course. You're always forgiven, Shadow..."

He nodded and curled up beside her, his head resting against her side. "I didn't mean to hurt you or Sonic..." he muttered.

"Shh, I know..." Maria soothed, stroking his quills gently. "But everything is going to be alright now. I promise." She grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Sonic came to sit on Shadow's other side, putting a hand on his arm to comfort him some more. "We're here for you, Shadow."

Shadow, having been exhausted from crying and yelling so much in the past couple of days, fell asleep almost immediately, feeling safe and loved with his two best friends by his side.


	12. Memories and Flashbacks

Shadow didn't find himself sleeping well, despite being right beside both Sonic and Maria. Constant nightmares of him making Maria cry and hurting Sonic plagued his tired mind. He woke up many times, though he took one certain time to look over his friends. Even in the darkness, he could see rather well, and he looked at Maria's face.

 _I hope she didn't cry too much..._ he thought, frowning. Though the girl looked at ease now, who knew just how upset she'd been before. He cringed at the thought. _I'm so sorry, Maria..._ He sighed quietly.

He then turned his attention to Sonic, taking the opportunity to look at all that he'd done to the blue hedgehog. He started with his face. He had to lean a bit, but he could indeed see the cut his shoe had created. He winced when he saw just how bloody it was. It seemed that Sonic may have only bothered to clean it once or twice before giving up and letting it heal on its own. Shadow shook his head a bit. _If you won't fix it, then I will. But I cut you with my metal shoes...Idiot._ He then looked down at his chest and stomach. He was horrified to see that any bit of peach skin on his front side was now a light purple color, but there were certain spots - one on his chest, one on his stomach - that were very dark. Shadow was certain he was sore...And guilt ate at his conscience like no tomorrow. _Just one more to see..._

He peeked over Sonic's body, seeing that he had his left arm pressed protectively against his side. Shadow gently pushed his arm back, glancing at Sonic's wrist. His eyes widened when he saw the damage. It was purple, but not a light purple. The coloration was very dark. It seemed to take up the sides of his wrist, and in the center, where he guessed his shoes had the small bridged space, there was a dark red line. Shadow frowned, his ears lowering to his head. _I never thought..._ He then sighed, and sat up. _Just hang on, Sonic._ He swiftly leapt off of the couch and headed for the kitchen to get some ice. After doing so, and putting it in three bags, he headed back and sat back down between his friends, glad to notice that they were both still asleep.

Shadow lightly pressed one bag to Sonic's chest and stomach, moving it slightly.

The blue hedgehog made a noise and his eyes flew open. "That-" He looked down to see Shadow, who had frozen, staring up at him, ears pinned back. "Shadow?" he whispered. "What...what are you doing?"

"I'm..." Shadow looked down. "I'm sorry..."

Sonic put a hand on Shadow's. "There's no need to be. But you need some rest right now. You're exhausted, I can feel it."

Shadow looked away. "You're not making any effort to heal yourself..."

Sonic sighed. "I'll heal in due time." he murmured.

"But you're not like me." Shadow protested quietly. "You wouldn't heal from that in a day. Your cheek especially...It could get infected. My shoes have metal on them, and that's what cut you-"

Sonic shushed him quietly. "Shhh... Shadow, I may not heal as fast as you. But I'm still faster than most people."

Shadow squeezed his eyes shut. "But you have to do _something_!"

"I don't need to, Shadow. This will all be gone in a matter of days." Sonic reassured him. "Now, get some rest. I'm sure Maria would be happy to know you did." he said with a small smile.

Shadow set down the other bags of ice he'd gotten. "Sonic..."

"Shadow, it's gonna be okay. I promise." Sonic put a hand on the other's arm. "Have I ever lied?"

Shadow looked down and shook his head slowly. "No..."

"Good." Sonic grinned. "So sleep. I'll use these," he said, grabbing the ice bags, "if you go to bed now."

Finally, Shadow leaned back. "Okay, fine."

Sonic nodded and hugged Shadow. "Goodnight, Shadz."

"Goodnight." Shadow murmured, curling up beside Maria again. The exhausted girl hadn't woken up this whole time, and even still, only placed her arm around Shadow like it was the natural thing to do.

And, perhaps, it was...

 _Shadow crept into Maria's bed beside her. He was worried about her...Especially lately. Her disease was worsening, and she was now bedridden for most of her days. He knew this was just another periodic thing, but he didn't want her to go through it alone._

 _Maria shifted onto her back, sighing softly as she became comfortable._

 _Shadow crawled right up next to her and snuggled up beside her, not bothering to get under the covers. If he was cold, his body would simply adjust. Instead, he focused on Maria. She seemed to be in pain...Or maybe she was just upset. Either way, Shadow was heartbroken at this, and wanted her to be better as soon as possible. He nuzzled her arm a bit, closing his eyes slowly._

 _The girl opened her eyes and looked down at him. "Shadow?" she whispered. "What are you doing here...?"_

 _He looked up at her, his ears back. "I know I'm not supposed to leave the lab unless I'm assigned a task..." He bowed his head. "I'm sorry..."_

 _She shook her head and hugged him closer. "No, it's fine. I like your company." she told him with a smile. "But why'd you come?"_

 _"I...I just thought maybe you didn't want to be alone..." he murmured, resting his head on her shoulder._

 _"Oh." She smiled at him. "You're right." She then hugged him close. "...Thank you, Shadow."_

 _Many nights after that, he would go into her room and sleep with her, usually curled up beside her or at her feet. He gradually did it more and more often, until it became a nightly occurrence. He was very fond of doing so; Maria was his only friend, and he cherished that bond._

Shadow smiled a little as he remembered those nights. But, his smile soon faded. He remembered one night in particular when he'd gone into Maria's room, and Gerald had come in to check on his granddaughter...

 _"Shadow?! What are you doing in here?" the late professor asked, walking over to the bed._

 _Shadow shifted so that he was behind Maria. "I was sleeping with her..." he muttered. "Forgive me..."_

 _"You aren't to leave the lab unless given express permission!" Gerald grabbed him and pulled him off of Maria's bed. Shadow struggled out of his grip and leapt back onto the bed, glaring up at the man. "Shadow, get back into the lab, or-"_

 _"Professor, she's lonely here! I'm just keeping her company!" Shadow snapped. "Is that such a crime?!"_

 _"...Yes, actually. I have orders from the United Federation to keep you under control!"_

 _Shadow frowned. "So you'll agree to treat me like some...some..." He clenched his fists, unable to find the right word._

 _Gerald took this opportunity to grab him and hold him tightly. "No. I'm treating you like what you are. Shadow the Hedgehog. But you're a weapon. And you shouldn't be around other people without supervision." he reprimanded._

 _Maria spoke up then. "Grandfather, please, he was helping me! I'm so lonely here..."_

 _"Just for tonight, Shadow will be back in the lab. We'll have cameras installed in your room tomorrow, Maria. Then he can do whatever." Gerald said, carrying Shadow out._

 _The black and red hedgehog struggled. "Professor, I'm begging you-"_

 _"Silence. Something tells me you've been doing this for a while now. That is not okay."_

 _Shadow looked down, guilt flooding him. "...Professor...I'm sorry..." He turned a bit and hid his face in his hands, leaning against the man as he was carried into the lab. Gerald then set him down by a small pod, instructing him to get in. Shadow obeyed, and stood there silently for the rest of the night as he was locked in._

 _The next morning, Gerald entered the lab. Shadow turned to look at him, and waited silently as the pod was opened. Stepping out, he walked over to the mustached man. "Good morning, Professor..."_

 _"Good morning, Shadow. I would like to talk to you about the previous night..."_

 _Shadow nodded. "I'm listening..."_

 _"You shouldn't be sneaking out like that. If something were to happen to-"_

 _"What? To Maria? Professor, I protect her. I accompany her. If_ anyone _were to try to hurt her, I'd kill them." Shadow said, resisting the urge to cross his arms. He always did so when he was uncomfortable or upset._

 _"Not only to Maria, Shadow. To you, as well." Gerald replied. "The United Federation demands that we keep you under control, for the safety of everyone on the ARK. You are no exception."_

 _Shadow looked down. "Professor, please...I'm not some..._ thing _that needs to be..._ controlled _..." he muttered._

 _"Shadow, you are a weapon. The Ultimate Lifeform. And weapons must be handled with care."_

 _Shadow stepped back. "Fine then. Keep me in this pod for the rest of my existence. I don't care anymore." he said._

 _Gerald frowned. "Shadow, you know that's not what I mean."_

 _Shadow shook his head. "I don't care what you do or don't mean. Just make sure Maria is happy. That's all I was trying to do." he said, turning and walking over to the pod's enclosure area._

 _"Shadow, you must understand...You are important to us." Gerald said._

 _"That's wonderful." Shadow replied flatly. "But..."_

 _"Come here." Gerald said. After getting no response, he asked, "Do you want to see Maria again?"_

 _The hedgehog slowly turned around. "...Yes."_

 _"The follow me." Gerald walked out of the room._

 _Shadow found himself being led to Maria's room, where a familiar blonde girl sat on the bed._

 _"Shadow?" she asked quietly, smiling a little._

 _He nodded. "...Hello, Maria..."_

 _Gerald guided Shadow to stand beside Maria's bed, and he quickly sat on it, right next to Maria. She smiled and leaned on him._

 _"So...I've decided this." Gerald began. "Shadow, you are allowed into Maria's room...at any time you wish. You may visit her during the day, at night...Whenever. You can also go around the ARK...But only the section that I have authority over. You're too young to go to other places yet."_

 _Shadow smiled a little. "Thank you, Professor. I won't let you down."_

 _"I know." Gerald replied with a grin._

 _Maria hugged Shadow's arm. "Yay! Does that mean you didn't put cameras in here, either?" she asked._

 _Gerald shook his head. "I saw no need to...Not after what Shadow told me." he said, giving the young hybrid a thumbs-up. Shadow, in turn, chuckled a bit and nodded._

 _"What is it? What did you say, Shadow?" Maria asked, beaming. "Was it nice?"_

 _Shadow chuckled nervously. "...More or less..."_

 _"Oh, please tell me!" Maria said, yanking his arm._

 _"Ahh! ...Uhh...I just said that I'd..." Shadow found himself looking away._

 _"Go on." Gerald encouraged, smiling._

 _Shadow chuckled. "I said I'd kill anybody if they even tried to hurt you, Maria...And I meant it."_

 _"Awww!" Maria nudged her way under his arm and hugged his torso, her blonde waves mingling with his snowy-white fur as she nuzzled his chest. A happy smile decorated her face as she looked up at him. "You're so sweet, Shadow!"_

 _Shadow chuckled again. "Yeah..."_

The black and red hedgehog sighed quietly to himself. He didn't know quite why, but he was able to remember those days all very well. It almost scared him. He shuddered a bit, his body shivering as if he was cold, then quickly lay himself flat, pressed firmly against Maria's sleeping form. He buried his face in her shoulder and closed his eyes, slowly falling asleep.


End file.
